‘Mahabharat in previous regime had stalled UP’s growth’

LUCKNOW: Without taking names, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday likened the key figures in the party that was in power from 2012 to 2017 in Uttar Pradesh to characters in the epic Mahabharat.

He also described the previous regime’s tenure as a period of corruption, dynasticism, casteism, and the neglect of merit. The chief minister’s jibe appeared to be veiled reference to the Samajwadi Party (SP), which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) defeated in the 2017 state assembly elections.

“Between 2012 and 2017, appointments to government posts in Uttar Pradesh were distributed among the members of a family. One appointment process was looked after by an uncle and the other was allotted to a nephew, maternal uncle, or maternal grandfather,” the chief minister said. He was addressing 271 block education officers to whom he handed over appointment letters.

He said that as “Kaka-MamaNana” blocked the progress of India during Mahabharat, in the same way a certain (political) family had remained an impediment to the progress of Uttar Pradesh. “We have ensured all fairness and transparency in your appointment. Merit is the only basis of government jobs. Now, no one can say that he has given a bribe to get the job,” Adityanath said. He also said, “Earlier, every appointment was made by looking at caste and religion.”

Samajwadi Party spokesman

Rajendra Chaudhary said all the allegations levelled by the CM against the previous regime giving jobs on the basis of caste were baseless and held no merit. He said the CM should not make such sweeping remarks and it was not good for democracy.