UP Govt "Cleans Budgets Not Rivers" Says Akhilesh Yadav
Akhilesh Yadav slams BJP's river cleanup hypocrisy and corporate favoritism.
In a fiery press conference at the Samajwadi Party headquarters in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Uttar Pradesh government, accusing it of merely "cleaning the budget" instead of actually purifying the state's rivers. The former chief minister highlighted how the BJP-led administration only pays lip service to environmental projects like river cleaning, especially when elections loom, using them as mere photo-ops rather than genuine efforts. Yadav pointed out that public funds earmarked for initiatives such as the Namami Gange project are being siphoned off, turning noble causes into opportunities for corruption and private gain, leaving rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna as polluted as ever despite billions allocated.
Questioning the BJP's much-touted "swadeshi" ideology, Yadav mocked it as a facade to mislead voters, claiming the party is "videshi" at heart. He challenged the government to prove its nationalism by imposing tariffs on Chinese imports, which have flooded the Indian market and crippled local industries. "Learn from America how they protect their economy with tariffs on China," Yadav urged, accusing the ruling dispensation of prioritizing corporate giants over small businesses and farmers. He further alleged that the government is handing over vast tracts of farmland to big real estate developers, creating massive land banks while farmers lose their livelihoods, exacerbating rural distress in a state already grappling with agricultural woes.
On the law and order front, Yadav criticized the rampant use of police encounters as a tool to instill fear rather than deliver justice, referencing the case of Kanpur lawyer Akhilesh Dubey, embroiled in corruption scandals. "If encounters could fix crime, why not target Dubey?" he quipped, warning that such tactics are politically motivated to cover up the government's failures. Yadav asserted that politicizing the police force has led to a breakdown in real security, with innocent citizens bearing the brunt while criminals with connections escape scrutiny. He vowed that the SP would expose these "secrets" and hold the administration accountable.
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Looking ahead, Yadav reaffirmed the SP's alliance with Congress, calling upcoming Legislative Council teacher elections a chance to strengthen ties despite their personal nature. On Bihar polls, he expressed readiness to campaign if invited, reminding voters of SP's role in defeating BJP in Awadh bypolls. "It's now Bihar's turn to rise against BJP," he declared, positioning socialists as key players in national opposition unity against what he termed the BJP's loot-and-rule model.
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