Akhilesh Govt befooling people by changing scheme names: BSP

Lucknow, Feb 19: BSP on Thursday accused the Akhilesh Yadav government of "befooling" people by changing names of various welfare schemes of the previous government and discontinuing SP's populist schemes which helped it "gain" power in UP.

"The SP on coming to power discontinued the Mahamaya Pension Scheme of the BSP government and launched it with a new label as Rani Laxmibai Yojna and after two years it got another label Samajwadi Pension Yojna," Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly Swami Prasad Maurya said.

He was speaking on the Motion of Thanks on Governor Ram Naik's address to the joint sitting of the legislature. Citing various "populist" schemes of SP government, like unemployment allowance, laptop distribution and loan waiver "which befooled people", he said all these schemes were discontinued after Lok Sabha elections, "betraying" those who supported it.

Attacking the government on the law and order front, the BSP leader said it should rise above caste and party lines to restore brotherhood in society but the government has "no plan for restoring amity".

"It should not look as if SP and BJP together instigate riots...those indulging in rioting should not be allowed to become a hero and they should not get any leeway and be sent to jail," he said, adding, industries will not come till their security was guaranteed.

"No one is safe...bombs reach the Raj Bhawan, theives strike at the house of a high court judge and firing takes place in a local court," he said referring to some recent incidents to question the claims of the government that law and order was under control.

PTI