Vibha Sharma
New Delhi, February 4
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today cautioned Uttar Pradesh voters against “family-driven fake samajwadis (socialists)” and history-sheeters who, if voted to power, would allegedly make people go hungry and stop all aid coming to farmers.
Indirectly attacking Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav while addressing a virtual campaign in western UP, which goes to the poll in the first phase on February 10, PM Modi said he was happy “people had decided not to allow rioters and mafia to take control of the state”.
The statement came as Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah by his side, filed his nomination from Gorakhpur from where he is contesting his first state election. Before filing papers, the five-time Gorakhpur MP prayed at Gorakhnath temple, of which he’s the head priest too.
Exuding confidence of winning the elections, Shah said: “The BJP will repeat history in UP. In 2014, 2017 and 2019 polls, the people of UP chose development under PM Modi’s leadership and gave the BJP an absolute majority. We will win more than 300 seats this time too.”
Several BJP leaders accompanied Adityanath in a mega show of strength by the party, which has made “law and order and mafia rule during the previous SP regime” as its main poll issue. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state president Swatantra Dev Singh, Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad and supporters, including those from the Apna Dal (S), accompanied Adityanath.
Lauding Adityanath, Shah said he had “freed UP of mafia by establishing the rule of law in the true sense after 25 years”. “Mafia is seen at only two places in UP now—jail or SP’s candidate list. The mafia used to rule UP and the police were scared of them. Today, the mafia walks up to the police station to surrender,” he asserted.
PM Modi, too, commended Adityanath for establishing the rule of law “by ending the terror of criminals and mafia”.
It’s brotherhood vs BJP, says Akhilesh
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday took a swipe at the ruling BJP asking if anyone saw criminals fleeing the state, as the party had been claiming. He claimed the SP would ensure a historic defeat to BJP and send Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath back to Uttarakhand.