SP ridicules BJP's mega project launch in UP

Lucknow: Hours ahead of launch of 81 investment projects worth more than Rs 60,000 crore for Uttar Pradesh by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party today released a 40-second video clip ridiculing BJP’s poll promises.

The SP took to Twitter to counter the BJP by reminding it of the 10 points in its “Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra” (2017 assembly manifesto) with a background music “tumhara intezaar hai (waiting for you)”, even as party chief Akhilesh Yadav charged the prime minister with misleading the people of the state by talking about development.

The video, which plays a line “intezar hai, tumhara intezaar hai…” raises 10 points, which the party claims people of the state were still awaiting.

Starting with “economic help to farmers” as point number one to “reforms in police system”, “ambulance services in 15 minutes” and “police help in 15 minutes”, the video seeks to remind people of the promise of “every hand has right to work” and also “free laptop and internet”.

“Help to Siksha mitra”, “women security”, “village, urban development” and “cultural development” are still elusive and people are waiting for it, it says. Modi’s Uttar Pradesh tour today would mark his sixth visit to the state this month and second to Lucknow in as many days.

He was here yesterday to attend a programme on “Transforming Urban Landscape”, marking the third anniversary of three key government initiatives related to urban development — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation of Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and the Smart Cities Mission.

Earlier this month, Modi visited his parliamentary Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi, Azamgarh and Mirzapur, besides Noida (Gamtam Buddha Nagar). He had visited Sant Kabir Nagar on June 28.

Describing Modi’s event in Lucknow as a successful attempt to “mislead” the people by talking about development, the SP chief alleged the BJP ‘excels’ in taking credit for not doing anything in the interest of the people.

“BJP is an expert when it comes to quoting unfounded statistics on development. The PM praises the CM for having done nothing for the development of the state and the CM praises him in return, which is laughable,” he said.

The former chief minister said though the prime minister “built castles of development in air”, he “conveniently skipped” mentioning the 302 km Lucknow-Agra Expressway, the Gomti Riverfront, Janeshwar Misra Park and Lucknow Metro, which were flagship projects of the SP government.

“Talking about investment and promising a better tomorrow is baseless when health services are in shambles and law and order situation in the state is at its worst,” he said.

Commenting on the frequent visits of the prime minister to Uttar Pradesh, senior SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav said, “This is just the beginning. As elections approach, he will have to come here on a daily basis.”

SP MLC Rajpal Kashyap alleged the Yogi government in UP and the Modi government at the Centre are engaged in a propaganda before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to drum up support for the BJP.

“The two governments have done nothing for the people and voters in UP are looking for a chance to bring about a change in governance,” he claimed.