SP-BSP sullied names of Ambedkar and Lohia: Modi

Ayodhya (UP), May 1: In a scathing attack against alliance partners SP and BSP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said they had done nothing for the poor and misused the names of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Ram Manohar Lohia.

Addressing a rally in Gosaiganj, about 25 km from this temple town, the prime minister said his is the only government that thinks of the poor. "Behenji (Mayawati) used Babasaheb Ambedkar's name but acted against his ideals. In the same way, the SP took Lohia's name at every step but sullied the image of the socialist leader," he said.

Modi accused the Samajwadi Party of destroying the law and order of Uttar Pradesh during its rule.

"They talk about Lohia but do nothing for the poor," he said, referring to the socialist leader.

The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party and the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP have joined hands to contest elections in the state. Buoyed by the Balakot air strikes, the prime minister said security is the biggest issue. Recalling bomb blasts in Ayodhya, Faizabad and other places, he said they have now become a thing of the past.

Modi also said tourist spots are being developed under the Ramayana circuit. Gosaiganj falls in Ambedkar Nagar constituency, which votes on May 12, the sixth and penultimate phase of the polls. The votes will be counted on May 23.

PTI