Taking a dig at the ongoing family feud in the Samajwadi Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged voters to reject the party as it was only engrossed in “saving a family.” He appealed to voters to break free from the cycle of SP and BSP, claiming that only the BJP was focused on development and progress of the State and would transform it into “Uttam Pradesh” in 10 years.
Later in the day while inaugurating projects worth several hundred crores in his constituency, Varanasi, including "Urja Ganga" — a 1500-km-long gas pipeline at a cost of Rs 51,000 crore, — Mr. Modi invoked the surgical strikes of the army while referring to Deepavali.
‘Focus on saving family’“On one hand, you have the party that is only bothered about saving a family. On the other, you have a party that wants to occupy the seat of power through any means. We are the third, only concerned about saving UP, developing it and seeing it progress. You decide if you want to waste yourself on saving a family or giving someone a chair,” Mr. Modi said in Mahoba. He was addressing a Parivartan maha rally in the Bundelkhand district as part of the BJP’s 2017 election campaign.
Reaching out to the youth of the impoverished region, Mr. Modi tried to neutralise the caste influences of the SP and BSP by appealing them to “not repeat the mistakes” of the “ancestors” who got swayed towards the SP and BSP due to “some emotional factors” and affinity. “You have to pick your future,” the Prime Minister said.
In Varanasi, he invoked the surgical strikes and shared his solidarity with soldiers stationed at the border who could not celebrate Diwali. “Some residents called me to say how the people of Kashi had already celebrated Choti Diwali...On September 29, when our forces achieved that momentous feat, residents of Kashi celebrated in joy,” he said.
Attacking the SP and BSP, Mr. Modi said the two parties worked in tandem. While in opposition, he said, they criticized each other, once they get power they take no action against corrupt and criminal elements. He said the two parties shared a “friendly behind-the-scenes relationship,” which stopped them from acting against each other. “UP has seen a lot of politics, all types of games. Those who had to play games have played it, the SP and BSP. Their lives have moved. Nothing changed in your life. In the coming 10 years you have a chance to transform U.P. into Uttam Pradesh by breaking this cycle of SP and BSP,” Mr. Modi told the crowd.
Mayawati rebutsHitting back at Mr. Modi, BSP chief and former chief minister Mayawati called his rally a “flop show,” even as she accused him of “spreading lies” about the BSP on inaction against corrupt and criminal elements during its regime. Not only did the BSP punish the mafia and criminals, its government even expelled and initiated CBI probe against ministers tainted by corruption allegations, Ms. Mayawati said. “Even today people talk about how notorious persons like Atiq Ahmed, Raja Bhaiya and Umakant Yadav were sent to jail under the BSP government while other parties gave them election tickets,,” Ms. Mayawati said.
