Samajwadi Party workers led by senior leader Balram Singh Yadav demonstrated at the Collectorate in Azamgarh against the proposed laying of foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Azamgargh on July 14 charging that the project was former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s brainchaild and the foundation was laid in 2016 but the BJP government was engaging in ‘creditjacking’.
“The PM is coming to Azamgarh to lay the foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway - a project whose foundation had already been laid. This is a big `dhokha’ (deceit) with the people of this state,” SP general secretary Balram Singh Yadav said while addressing workers in Azamgargh on Thursday.
Yadav said that if the PM and Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath really wanted development of Azamgarh, they should have given some new projects for the region.
“The laying of foundation stone of this project is nothing but wastage of government money,” Yadav said.
As soon as the PM’s program was finalised, the SP claimed that foundation stone of the Expressway was already laid on December 22, 2016. It also released pictures of the function which was attended by several cabinet ministers along with the then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
The SP even carried out a survey asking people on social media whether the BJP government’s decision to relay foundation stone of Purvanchal Expressway was correct or not.
Balram Singh Yadav, who was also minister in the Akhilesh government said that the previous SP government acquired over 70 per cent of the land and made payments to farmers. Work forthe project had also begun but it was stopped because of elections.
“Samajwadi Party workers will expose the BJP government which has no fresh ideas and was only replicating schemes and proposals of the previous SP government,” Yadav said.