Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party’s only aim was to support rioters, and that they were responsible for the brutal deaths of Hindu youths protecting their religion during the Muzaffarnagar riots in 2013. Addressing a gathering in Muradnagar on Saturday , Adityanath attacked the SP over the riots that happened when Akhilesh was the chief minister. More than 60 people were killed and over 40,000 displaced.
The CM said, “More than 60 Hindus were killed and over 1,500 imprisoned during the Muzaffarnagar riots. The caps of Samajwadi Party leaders are painted with the blood of innocent Ram Bhakts.”
#WATCH , In Baghpat, UP CM Yogi Adityanath says, “More than 60 Hindus were killed and over 1500 Hindus were put behind bars during in Muzaffarnagar riots… This is the identity of Samajwadi Party. Their cap is painted with the blood of innocent Ram Bhakts.” pic.twitter.com/KQSvrPMqhM— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 29, 2022
Reiterating that law and order was the BJP’s strongest plank, the chief minister also attacked the SP over “harbouring” criminals. During their door-to-door campaigning as well public meetings, Adityanath as well as union home minister Amit Shah have adopted a similar campaign line with a focus on the SP’s alleged “lawlessness and goodnaraj”. Other BJP leaders have targeted Akhilesh for his silence on criminal threats issued by his party’s candidates.
“They (SP) give tickets to criminals. Look at their candidates from Moradabad… one of them had said ‘It’s good to see Taliban in Afghanistan’… Taliban means opposer of humanity… You’re supporting it shamelessly… and SP gives them ticket,” said Adityanath, who also attacked the SP over the Kairana exodus.
He added, “They have fielded candidates responsible for the Kairana exodus and the Muzaffarnagar riots. If you want this not to be repeated, vote for the BJP.”
Also bringing in Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party into his address, Yogi said both parties (SP and BSP had fought the 2017 assembly elections in a “grand alliance”) were in a “competition” of who will issue a party ticket to the “bigger criminal “. He added that there was only one way to treat those who promoted anti-social elements in the state, and that was by JCB and bulldozer.
“There is a competition between SP and BSP to give tickets to the biggest criminal. If these criminals become MLA, they will produce guns, not flowers and there is only one way to treat them: JCB and bulldozer,” he said.
#WATCH , There is a competition between SP and BSP to give tickets to the biggest criminal. If these criminals become MLA, they will produce guns, not flowers and there is only one way to treat them: JCB and bulldozer: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath in Baghpat pic.twitter.com/H3hs0xoinm— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) January 29, 2022
The CM also invoked women’s safety and alleged that girls were not able to go to school due to the poor law and order situation in the state. Targeting Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav, he said the SP patriarch chose to justify crime against women by saying “boys make mistakes”. He asked, “How was the (law and order) situation before 2017? Women safety was in danger, so much so that girls could not go to schools and Mulayam Singh Ji would say: boys make mistakes. Their sympathy is not with women and youth.”
Reiterating this stand, during her door-to-door campaigning in Meerut Cantonment on Saturday, union minister Smriti Irani also said if the public wanted women to be safe, they should then vote for the BJP. She, too, had lashed out at the SP for the “criminalisation” of politics in Uttar Pradesh, and for introducing the public to candidates who were instilling fear of retaliation in order to get votes.
The assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.
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