Akhilesh hits out at media for criticising Saifai festival

January 10, 2014 07:28 pm | Updated May 13, 2016 08:41 am IST - Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav arrives for a press conference at CM residence in Lucknow on Friday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav arrives for a press conference at CM residence in Lucknow on Friday.

Stung by criticism for organising a film stars’ nite at the ‘Saifai Mahotsav’ in his parental village at a time when Muzaffarnagar riot victims were suffering, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday blamed the media for presenting a distorted picture of the situation. The festival, he added, was an annual event and “the Mahotsav was held even when the Samajwadi Party was not in power.”

Rubbishing reports that said Rs. 300 crore was spent on organising the festival, the Chief Minister said about Rs. 7 crore to 8 crore was spent this year with the government’s share being Rs. 1 crore. The rest of the amount was made up by contributions, he said.

The Chief Minister said either the reporter of the newspaper that published the report should apologise, or provide the break up of the money spent on the festival. “If the journalist does not render an apology, he should be punished by the newspaper.” He then went on to refer to the daily, whose owner, he said, was made a Rajya Sabha MP by the Samajwadi Party and accused it of launching a malicious campaign against his government. “He wanted the ticket again, which, for some reasons could not be given to him.”

Taking exception to some news channels asking film stars who performed in the Mahotsav about the pathetic condition of the displaced Muzaffarnagar riot victims and their children, Mr. Yadav said: “Questions on Muzaffarnagar should be asked to me, do the film artists know anything about Muzaffarnagar? My opinion should have been sought, I am the Chief Minister.” He said actor Salman Khan’s visit to a hospital in Saifai, where the actor assured support for the treatment of children, was not telecast by any TV channel.

Mr. Yadav maintained that the government provided the riot victims with all possible help in terms of relief and rehabilitation, and when asked if he thought the Saifai Mahotsav should have been a low-key affair, given the plight of the displaced people, he said: “Yeh koi beat nahin hai (this is not the issue).”

The festival, Mr. Yadav said, was started by his elder brother and is held every year where the festival committee, the villagers and people from adjoining areas get together to celebrate.

The Mahotsav showcases many events, including sports and local talent, the Chief Minister added.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.