'Half income, double inflation' vs 'Saifai Mahotsav': Yogi, Akhilesh engage in fresh verbal duel

LUCKNOW: In an open letter addressed to the public, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over a range of issues, terming the current phase as "half income, double inflation", adding that the present government has only brought "difficulties and troubles".

"Apart from the poor and oppressed, the skilled and unskilled workers, unemployed youths, people who have been sacked from their job due to the dire state of the economy, businessmen, industrialists and farmers have also been suffering due to the current phase of "half income, double inflation". Actually, since the present government came into power, it has only brought difficulties and troubles," reads the letter written in Hindi by the SP chief.

Uttar Pradesh former chief minister posted the letter on Twitter on the occasion of Republic Day on Wednesday.

Yadav urged people to pledge on Republic Day to "save the constitution which led to the formation of this great republic."

"To bring the positive change, let's move forward with the positive, progressive and practical politics that does not favour only a sect of people but takes everyone together," Yadav said.

"This government has divided society into two parts. On one hand, there are people who are continuously getting richer and on the other hand, there are people who are continuously getting poorer. Even among the wealthy, only a few persons are cornering wealth. The middle class is getting crushed in the middle. Their savings and interest on which their future depends are also not safe in banks," he added.

Reiterating the promise made by Samajwadi Party during the ongoing election campaigning for upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav urged the people to elect his government and help them in making a "new UP".

"We take a pledge to fulfill promises like 300 units of free electricity per household, free irrigation, MSP for all crops, guaranteed payment to sugarcane farmers within 15 days, interest-free loans, insurance, pension, Samajwadi pension of Rs 18,000 per year, laptop distribution to talented youths, 22 lakh new jobs in IT sector, filling up lakhs of vacant government jobs, restoring the pension scheme and caste census," the letter read.

Meanwhile, taking a jibe at Samajwadi Party, Yogi Adityanath on Thursday morning said that those who yearn to make the state's identity similar to 'Saifai Mahotsav' are now history and remain only that.

Organised between 1997 and 2015, Saifai Mahotsav was an annual cultural fair started in 1997 by Late Ranveer Singh Yadav, nephew of senior Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and father of Tej Pratap Singh Yadav (ex-MP from Mainpuri). It was renamed as Ranveer Singh Smriti Saifai Mahotsav after his death in 2002. The closing ceremony was a controversial event due to the participation of controversial personalities.

In a tweet today, Adityanath wrote in Hindi, "The state is now identified with 'Divya Kumbh' and 'Grand Deepotsav', it will remain the same... Those who yearn to make the state's identity similar to 'Saifai Mahotsav' are now history, will remain a history..."

This development holds significance as Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in seven phases starting on February 10. The second phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections will be on February 14, the third phase on February 20, the fourth phase on February 23, 5th phase on February 27, 6th phase on March 3 and 7th and the last phase will be conducted on March 7.

Meanwhile, elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

(THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS)

813 Days ago