Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said farmers of Uttar Pradesh have "shut the doors" on the Yogi Adityanath government, slamming the state for not fulfilling its promises of doubling farmers' incomes and providing jobs to the youth.
"Did anyone imagine that farmers would one day be mowed down with jeeps? BJP insulted farmers here, lathi-charged them. Many were killed. BJP leaders were calling them terrorists and goons," Yadav told NDTV.
"The farmers here are taking this election as one of their self-respect and pride. It's also an election to further the legacy of former prime minister and farmer leader Chaudhary Charan Singh," he is quoted as saying. The former PM was the grandfather of young RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, SP's ally.
Lauding the efforts of his previous government in Uttar Pradesh, he said that the Samajwadi Party gave the best police response system to the state. "We gave a structure and also the infrastructure for the state police to work better in coordination."
He hit out at the state's law and order situation, highlighting criminal cases under the BJP including the Hathras gang-rape case and the murder of a businessman by Gorakhpur police. "He (CM Yogi) is the first chief minister in the state to withdraw all cases against himself and even his deputy."
When asked about SP's controversial candidate Nahid Hasan fielded from the Kairana assembly, Yadav alleged that the BJP has filed "serious cases against political people", even students.
Yadav on Friday asked farmers to be wary of the BJP, saying the ruling party's government had withdrawn its controversial farm laws only for the sake of votes. He also assured farmers that if their alliance forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, they will not allow the implementation of any such anti-farmer law in the state.
(With PTI inputs)
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