Now, onus on SP to stop ‘communal forces’ in LS polls, asserts Akhilesh

December 16, 2013 05:38 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 07:05 pm IST - LUCKNOW

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav viewing model of a developmental project at his residence in Lucknow on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav viewing model of a developmental project at his residence in Lucknow on Monday.

With the Congress having lost the recent Assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav has indicated that the onus is now on the Samajwadi Party to stop the “communal forces” from capturing power at the Centre in 2014. “ The results of the recent elections have placed a big question mark over the Congress Party’s ability, in Uttar Pradesh the electoral battle is fought on the ground, the Lok Sabha election is very important, the communal forces have to be stopped”, Mr. Yadav said.

The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, who interacted with the Press on the “Development Agenda 2013­2014” of his Government at his official residence here on Monday, said the Samajwadi Party would continue to work towards the cause of development, but, “at the same time steps would be taken to prevent the communal forces (from coming to power) and promote the secular agenda”. Mr. Yadav said the “janata” (people) wants an alternative to the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.

Even as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said that the Samajwadi Party is better equipped to take on the BJP, he neither condemned, nor welcomed alleged mafia don­turned-politician and former MP, Atiq Ahmed being given the Lok Sabha ticket from Sultanpur. Mr. Ahmed who has over 40 criminal cases against him and was expelled from the SP in 2008, was last week re­ inducted into the party and rewarded with the Lok Sabha poll ticket by Mr. Mulayam Singh.

Incidentally, it was Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, who during the 2012 Assembly polls had stalled the entry of another alleged mafia don­turned­politician, DP Yadav into the SP. On Sunday, Mr. Ahmed virtually stormed Sultanpur with a cavalcade of hundreds of vehicles and supporters brandishing rifles. When pressed for a reply on Atiq Ahmed’s nomination, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister replied” “ kuchh saathi sarkari hote hain, sarkar ke saath chalte hain” (some people prefer to remain with the Government ). However, Mr. Yadav added that the mafia (“bahubali”) is not above law.

On the plight of the Muzaffarnagar riot victims in the relief camps, Mr. Yadav admitted that some people had returned to the camps. “Many victims had left the relief camps but some returned to the camps after some time, information would be taken on what led them to return”, the Chief Minister told reporters. He added that quilts and shawls have been distributed to the children in the relief camps.

Referring to the Development Agenda, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister stated that the Government’s energy was focused on the singular need of bringing development back on the rail. He denied that there is a resource crunch and said steps have been taken to mobilise additional resources.

The “Development Agenda” of four Government departments — Public Works Department (PWD), Energy, Infrastructure and Industrial Development and Medical Education — was unveiled at a function held at 5, Kalidas Marg residence of the Chief Minister.

Among the measures to be taken are increasing the power supply to the rural areas from eight hours to 10 hours, new medical colleges at Budaun and Jaunpur, 26 new rail over bridges and linking 6200 villages with a population of 500, or more with rural approach roads, Rs. 26,000 crore and Rs. 42,000 crore investment proposed in UP in Delhi­Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC).

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