BJP Govt Completes Half term: Oppn calls Yogi’s claims ‘false’, says state moving at speed of bullock-cart

The “double engine” was a reference to the BJP’s earlier claim that the state will develop quicker with the same party in power in Lucknow and at the Centre.

Yadav’s attack followed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s press conference on his government reaching the mid-point of its five-year term. Adityanath claimed that the perception about the state has changed during his term and the “improvement” in law and order has played an important role in this.

The SP chief contested Adityanath’s claims on “improved” law and order situation, saying there has been an increase in crime against women in the state.

“Uttar Pradesh has seen a steep increase in cases of rape, loot and other crimes in the last two-and-a-half years… Will the current government hide all its failures during its tenure by blaming the earlier governments. Corruption is at its peak in the state… As long as criminals in the state are concerned, this government has received the highest number of notices from human rights’ commissions. There has been an increase in custodial deaths in the state… One can read about such incidents in the papers every day,” he said, referring to the Unnao rape case and slammed the government over alleged inaction.

He also mocked at the role of police, saying people could see the difference in how the police function in Shahjahanpur and Rampur districts. “In one place (Rampur), cases are being lodged against a senior leader for theft of cows and goats, whereas you can see how officers are working in Shahjahanpur,” the SP chief said, referring to the allegations of rape and harassment against former union minister and BJP leader Chinmayanand who has not been arrested yet.

BSP chief Mayawati also said the BJP government’s record in the state so far has been “disappointing”. “This government has failed badly particularly on law and order and controlling crime,” she tweeted in Hindi.

Congress leader Raj Babbar echoed: “The law and order scenario in the state is grim. There is fear in the minds of people. Incidents of rape are being reported from different parts of the state. Atrocities on women and murders are taking place at busy locations in the state capital.”

Congress spokesman Anshu Awasthi said the government’s “only achievement” has been saving “rapist MLAs” and leaders associated with it.

RLD spokesperson Anil Dubey also referred to the crime against women and the notices served by the National Human Rights Commission to the state.

The remarks were an indirect reference to the rape accusation against former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand in Shahjahanpur and expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao.

During his press meet, Adityanath said the prosecution in sexual assault cases against minors has been speeded up. He gave an example from Auraiya, in which a life imprisonment sentence has already been pronounced for a rape committed in the first week of August.

On farmer’s issues, SP chief claimed that there has been an increase in farmer suicides. “I was seeing the news yesterday, and I saw a farmer killed himself in Hamirpur due to increasing debt. Why is the government lying about the loan waiver scheme? Why are they hiding the data?”.

Congress spokesperson Awasthi asked, “What happened to the promise to the youth on providing jobs?” “This government has, however, been successful in organising big events by spending a lot of money, claiming investment of over Rs 4.28 lakh crore through the investors’ summit. But what is the result? They lack the right intention of seeing these development projects become a reality,” he said.

RLD’s Dubey too claimed the Adityanath government has failed to keep its promises on issues concerning farmers, youth and women. “Inflation, power tariff hike and unemployment are glaring issues, but the government has remained busy in just patting its back without caring for the problems of the common man,” Dubey added. —With PTI