Why Ganga not cleaned yet, Akhilesh asks centre, state
VARANASI : Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday flayed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments at the centre and the state and said those who took oath in the name of ‘Maa Ganga’ to clean the river failed in doing so. “They also failed to make cities smart. They should answer why Ganga hasn’t been cleaned yet,” he asked.
He was interacting with media persons at the airport here on the first day of his three-day eastern Uttar Pradesh tour.
He said people of UP voted for BJP thinking that it will fulfill its poll promises. But the BJP has forgotten its ‘Sankalp Patra’ after coming to power.
PRAYAGRAJ: The Congress’s ‘Nadi Adhikar Yatra’— a march on foot in support of the rights of boatmen and fishermen community over river resources— will get under way from Baswar village of Prayagraj’s trans-Yamuna area on March 1.
The 20-day campaign will conclude at Manjhi Ghat of Ballia district on March 20, said acting state president of Congress OBC cell Manoj Yadav.
“This padyatra will pass through various districts of the state including Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Varanasi and Chandauli,” he added. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had announced the yatra in a series of tweets on Tuesday (February 23).
Yadav further said chaupals (village meetings) to discuss and highlight the challenges being faced by the members of Nishad community and others residing on riverbanks would be held in as many as 1200 villages and hamlets during the 390- kilometre march.
However, where and when exactly would Priyanka join the march is yet to be declared by the party. She could join the march anywhere and any day en route, Yadav said.
The plan is to start the march from Baswar on the banks of Yamuna and come to Sangam and from here move along the banks of the Ganga visiting one village and hamlet to another meeting people and discussing their issues.
“Each day at sunset, a chaupal would be held in one such village or hamlet where issues related to the community would be discussed,” he added.
In the tweets announcing the proposed yatra, Priyanka had also declared a sum of Rs 10 lakh as financial aid to the affected fishermen whose boats were allegedly damaged by police.
The Nishad community members in Baswar village had alleged that they were recently beaten up and their boats damaged by police team accompanying officials reportedly taking against illegal sand miners in the area.
In the three tweets, Priyanka had said the primary rights on the river resources were of the fishermen community who were their real protectors.
She had also said the Congress would be taking out a yatra to fight for these rights. In one of the tweets, she demanded that the government investigate the illegal sand mining and the mining being done by big companies.