Accept your failure and quit, Akhilesh tells Yogi

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav and leader of opposition in UP Assembly Ramgovind Chaudhary on Monday attacked the UP government over Covid mismanagement, especially its spread in the state’s hinterland.

Akhilesh said: “Chief minister should accept his failure and quit. This will give relief to people who are dying daily of Covid infection.”

Akhilesh, in a statement, said the state was paying the price of short-sightedness, lack of vision, and delayed decision making regarding the Covid management in the state.

Akhilesh said that 70% of 24 crore population of UP lives in the villages, last year the villages had crisis due to the return of lakhs of migrants during the lockdown and the returnees had to face inhuman circumstances. Now again, they are returning in large numbers.

“In villages, crowding is increasing and there are no facilities for testing or treatment and nor there is livelihood security. The chief minister is busy issuing false statements while the truth is wheat procurement is halted, farmers are distressed, procurement centres have locks on them. It is not the procurement centres but the middlemen are purchasing wheat. Reality is that the farmers have no option than killing themselves,” he said.

Chaudhary in a letter to chief minister alleged that even though COVID-19 has spread to state’s rural areas, tests are not being done. In his letter, the Leader of Opposition also complained about poor health facilities in Ballia. Chaudhary said health officials in Ballia are not taking his phone calls despite him being a legislator.

“If this is the situation, then one can easily imagine the plight of the common people, he said.