Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being extravagant and spending the hard-earned wealth of common people for US President Donald Trump’s visit to India on February 24.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Akhilesh said thousands of people were being mobalised on the streets of Ahmadabad to welcome the US President. “Despite the mega show at Ahmadabad, people cannot be taken for a ride and made to forget the economic distress,” he said.
The SP president reiterated that they would not have any truck with any political party for the UP Assembly elections in 2022. He said his party, like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), would seek votes in the name of ‘work’ and not ‘Ram’ or ‘Hanuman’.
“I would not have to cite Lord Rama or Hanuman for an electoral win in UP. I will, instead, cite the work undertaken in the state during our party’s regime between 2012 and 2017,’’ he said.
He was apparently referring to the speeches of the BJP leaders, especially UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, during their election campaign in the recently-concluded assembly polls in Delhi in which they repeatedly invoked Lord Rama and Hanuman.
Stating at the electorate of Delhi had voted on development plank, Akhilesh said the people of UP would also do the same. “We will seek support of the electorate on the basis of our work. We will also urge them to ask the BJP government to talk about their achievements,” he added.
The SP president’s remarks assume significance as BSP supremo Mayawati has also hinted that her party would not have any kind of alliance with the SP or other rival parties in the state. The SP and BSP had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in alliance in UP but their tie-up failed to click. While the BSP had bagged 10 seats, the SP managed to win only five.