The word ‘Samajwadi’ has become a `taboo’ in the Yogi Adityanath government with the Chief Minister ordering that the word be removed from all government schemes and be replaced with the word `Mukhyamantri’.
The announcement was made in review meetings of Energy, Infrastructure development and Industries departments held in lucknow last night.
“The cabinet will take a decision to remove the word ‘Samajwadi’ from all government schemes and replace it by using the word ‘Mukhyamantri’ in these schemes,” the CM said in the meeting.
There are 18 schemes carrying the ‘Samajwadi’ prefix including Samajwadi 102 Ambulance Service and Samajwadi Pension Scheme. In fact, the ambulance service is operated under NRHM. The then UPA government had stopped financing the project when Akhilesh government used ‘Samajwadi’ in that scheme.
last week, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered not to distribute over 60 lakh ration cards printed by the Akhilesh Yadav government as they carried photograph of the former Chief Minister. It also declared that ration cards carrying Akhilesh’ picture would no longer be acceptable. Food and Civil Supplies department was asked to provide smart ration cards to the beneficiaries.
The Samajwadi Party criticised the BJP government for removing `Samajwadi’ from the schemes and said that the action was unacceptable.
“The word ‘Samajwad’ does not represent Samajwadi Party. Even our Constitution highlights `Samajwad’. The decision of Yogi government is politically motivated,” SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said in a statement issued in lucknow on Friday.
Chaudhary said that the BJP government was a `copy-paste’ government and was implementing Akhilesh government’s policies claiming them as one.
“It is the Akhilesh government which had ordered 18 hour power supply in villages and now this government is doing the same thing,” he said.