Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the Modi government of not doing anything for farmers suffering crop losses in the state, a charge BJP chief Amit Shah trashed saying it was the ruling Samajwadi Party that has done nothing for them.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the Modi government of not doing anything for farmers suffering crop losses in the state, a charge BJP chief Amit Shah trashed saying it was the ruling Samajwadi Party that has done nothing for them.
"Except for indulging in "bhashan baji" (making speeches), the state government has done nothing for the affected farmers," Shah said at a public meeting in Sikandarau tehsil of Hathras, hours after Yadav's remarks in the state capital. Daring the BJP to disclose details of the funds it had given to the state for farmers, Yadav had earlier said, "I want to ask, if the Centre has given money, where is it? Delivering an address from a stage and claiming that thousands of crore have been given is easy, they (BJP leaders) should tell how and when it was given. I say BJP is the most 'chalu' (shrewd) party."
The chief minister made the remark at an event at his official residence where he distributed cheques to farmers whose crops were destroyed due to unseasonal rains. Asserting that the Samajwadi Party government was trying to help farmers, Yadav said it has given Rs 7 lakh to the kin of farmers who died due to shock after suffering crop loss.
"The Centre should have given Rs 14 lakh. There should be competition in giving relief to farmers...," the CM said. Upping the attack on BJP, he said, "Its policy is to divert the attention of people. Now, people will not be carried away by mere slogans and will expect work to be done on the ground."
The chief minister said as far as relief for farmers was concerned, the SP government has distributed Rs 2,000 crore. Stung by Yadav's comments, Shah said, "The UP chief minister is not a well-wisher of farmers. He only makes speeches. Farmers suffering due to hailstorm and untimely rains have not yet got their cheques," the BJP chief claimed.
Shah said he was informed by farmers of Hathras that 40 farmers had died in the district but the district magistrate and the tehsildar had cited different reasons for the deaths, while cheques of a paltry Rs 250 were sanctioned by 'Lekhpal' (revenue official). "This is why farmers are committing suicide," he said.
Shah said the Modi government has done a commendable job in past one year and claimed that the next government in the state would be formed by BJP. Earlier, the chief minister while referring to the debate caused over cancellation of Food Park project in Amethi, said the state had done a lot for it - from giving land to helping in other formalities but regretted that Congress never thanked the state government for it.
Yadav said a similar park is to be opened in Mainpuri and hoped that in future it would be set up in Jhansi too. Commenting on Supreme Court's decision barring the use of photographs on advertisements, Yadav said, "Decision has come. Now we cannot advertise with our photographs. We have never fought for photo. I say from the first day that that we are ahead in doing work and far behind (others) in tom-tomming them." He requested the apex court to fix a dress code for politicians.
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