BJP has ‘use and throw’ approach for PDA community, says Akhilesh

Lucknow: Accusing the BJP govt of adopting a ‘use and throw' policy towards members of the PDA community, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the govt ‘used' the family of jailed Gayatri Prajapati in the Lok Sabha elections to reach out to the community and later dumped them.The former UP CM also accused the govt of neglecting the PDA community -- – comprising Pichde (Backward Classes), Dalits and Alpsankhyak (Minorities)- adding that crime against them was on the rise. "Everyone knows how Gayatri Prajapati's family was approached by BJP before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. They were promised that their criminal cases would be withdrawn. But that did not happen," Akhilesh said while addressing a press conference in Lucknow. Akhilesh's charge was in apparent reference to the May 10, 2024, rally in Amethi where BJP's Smriti Irani shared the stage with Gayatri Prajapati's son Anurag and daughter Ankita who sought votes for the BJP. This, when Gayatri's wife Maharaji Prajapati is a sitting SP MLA. Gayatri was an SP MLA and minister in Akhilesh cabinet and was convicted of rape and sentenced to 5 years in jail in 2021 by Allahabad High court. His name also figured in the multi-crore mining scam. Akhilesh said though Gayatri Prajapati's family campaigned for the BJP, he did not take offence to this. "I don't hold any grudge against them over some family members backing the BJP then," he said. Accusing the BJP govt of harboring mafias, Akhilesh said all the mafias, including paper leak and job mafia along with construction and liquor mafias, are in the BJP. He said in the past nine years if one lists mafia in every sector, one will find all of them in BJP. "This is because the Chief Minister himself has set an example by withdrawing his own cases," he said. Slamming the state govt for its handling of the education sector, Akhilesh said UP presently has more liquor stores than schools. "Uttar Pradesh has more liquor stores than in New York. Go and find out. This (BJP) govt wants more people to consume liquor. But they have closed schools. The chief minister and his people have on the floor of the House said no primary school will be closed. The reality is that over 20,000 schools were closed and have not been reopened," he said. Citing the ongoing protest by candidates seeking proper reservation in the recruitment of 69,000 teachers, Akhilesh said the BJP govt has created an atmosphere of injustice. "Those who promised ‘achhe din' have indulged in corruption ... they are denying the right to reservation enshrined in the Constitution," he said.

Select The Times of India as your preferred source on Google Search.

Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays, public holidays, and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.