Deoband (UP): Accusing the BJP-led NDA government of creating more rifts in the society than the British during colonial rule, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav said Sunday that the Lok Sabha elections are to bring a ‘mahaparivartan’ (grand change).
Kicking off a joint campaign of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance here in western Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh asked the BJP leaders to resolve not to lie during the auspicious occasion of ‘Navaratri’.
Referring to the 2014 parliamentary election, the SP chief said, “He (Modi) came as a chaiwala (tea-seller) and we all believed (him) for the sake of ‘achche din’ and crores of jobs. But now, when elections have come again they say they are chowkidar (watchmen). This time, we all will together snatch the ‘chowki’ (seat) of every single chowkidar.”
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi coining an acronym ‘SARAB’ (alcohol) from the initial letters of the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Lok Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party tie-up, Akhilesh said the PM is worried about the alliance. “Our alliance is being termed ‘milawat (adulterated) alliance’, but those who talk about SARAB are intoxicated by power,” Akhilesh said amid thunderous applause.
The SP chief stressed that the dreams of socialist thinkers Ram Manohar Lohia and Kanshi Ram will be fulfilled by the alliance. “The coming election is for ‘mahaparivartan’ (grand change)… this is the alliance of giving a new government and a new PM,” he told the gathering.
The promise of ‘achche din’ (good days) has turned out to be ‘burey din’ (bad days). They (BJP)… brought GST, which benefitted big businessmen but the small ones remained harassed,” he alleged.
Akhilesh asked the BJP leaders to resolve never to tell lies, and said, ‘I have taken the same resolve this ‘Navaratri’. They created more rifts in society than the British.”
Asserting that the ruling BJP was afraid of the alliance, Akhilesh asserted that not a single vote should go in waste and also attacked the Congress for fielding candidates against them.
“The policies of the Congress and the BJP are same… The Congress does not want to bring change but rather want to strengthen itself in Uttar Pradesh,” he alleged.
PTI