Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav accuses BJP 'fanning' vote-bank politics

Lucknow, Jul 31: Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of fanning vote-bank politics in the state and linking meals with caste.

He also alleged that the BJP governments at the state and the Centre had failed to fulfil their poll promises and was not "bothered about the pain of the people" . "The BJP leadership is fanning vote-bank politics in Uttar Pradesh and has shown a narrow mindset by linking meals with caste," the Samajwadi Party national president said here in a statement.

His remarks comes in the backdrop of BJP chief Amit Shah and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath taking lunch at the house of a booth-level party worker yesterday. "The BJP leadership is indulging in horse-trading of legislators, as it is apprehensive of going to the voters (to seek a mandate).

The public feels harassed and unsatisfied by the non-fulfillment of promises by the BJP," he said. In its three years at the Centre, the BJP could not make an expressway like the one made by the Samajwadi Party government.

"The SP government built the Yamuna Expressway in 22 months and a fighter plane can also land on it. This expressway makes the journey from Lucknow to Noida possible in five hours. Even the Shatabdi Express takes more time than this," he said. The SP leader alleged that the BJP has only a "vote- relationship" with the people. "It believes in politics of religion and sect, and breaks the social amity. It generates hatred among the people and also creates separatism.

The BJP is least bothered about the pain of the people," he said. "Farmers, students, youngsters and poor people are worried. Their hard-earned money has been deposited in the banks.

Even traders, government employees and teachers are feeling agitated," Akhilesh said. The SP national president said, "We completed the metro rail in Lucknow without central assistance.

Had the Centre not created hurdles in granting the NOC, thousands of commuters would have been traveling by metro rail everyday." He said promises of making Varanasi like Japan's Kyoto also remain unfulfiled.

PTI