Uttar Pradesh elections 2017: PM Modi is a 'UP wala', says Amit Shah

Projecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "UP wala", BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday made a strong pitch for the party's surge in next year's state polls, saying its "victory march" would be incomplete without a win in the country's largest state.

Addressing a rally of booth-level workers of the Braj region as part of preparations for the Assembly polls, he lashed out at the SP, BSP and Congress, alleging that they have been running "corrupt" regimes for many years and that BJP will take action if it comes to power in the state.

Highlighting the work done by the NDA government at the Centre in the last two years, Shah dared Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to present his report card of five years like Modi did recently and said the Chief Minister should quit "since he has failed to fulfil any of the promises made to the people". He also attacked Rahul Gandhi for asking what the Modi government has done in two years, telling the Congress leader that "the biggest thing we have done is to give the country a Prime Minister who talks" as "for ten years no one except you and your mother heard the Prime Minister speak."

Seeking a mandate for BJP in next year's elections, Shah said, "You (the people of UP) elected Narendra Modi as MP and made him India's Prime Minister. PM Modi is a 'UP wala'. BJP's victory march won't be complete unless we win Uttar Pradesh, the biggest state in the country. It is important for us to form a government here because India cannot progress without UP." Modi is a member of Lok Sabha from Varanasi in UP.

Shah, who addressed two meetings of party's booth-level workers in the state today, accused the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh of creating hurdles in the path of development, particularly implementation of schemes launched by the Centre for poor and farmers for political reasons.

Against the backdrop of the Mathura incident, the BJP chief also accused the Akhilesh government of aiding land grabbing and said his party will launch an agitation by forcing the authorities to get the encroached land freed. He said his party would soon launch an email service by which people can complain about "encroachments made by SP men" and "even before" their government is formed in the state BJP workers will struggle in getting the encroachments cleared.

While attacking the Akhilesh Government over the violence in Mathura, Shah said inaction against the guilty was "surprising" and "they should be ashamed of it".

Amit Shah slams BSP

In a bid to woo dalits, Shah, who also addressed a press conference in capital Lucknow, claimed that only BJP can work for their welfare as he said that BSP only "uses" them for politics while SP "exploits" them.

"Dalits are exploited at the hands of Samajwadi Party, while they are used by the Bahujan Samaj Party. Only BJP can take care of all as it believes in 'sabka saath, sabka vikas'. Dalits can only progress under BJP rule and only BJP can work for their welfare," said the BJP chief, days after he shared meals with dalits in PM Modi's Lok Sabha constituency.

"Except for a few, all citizens in Uttar Pradesh are treated as second-rate citizens. If there is a BJP government in the state, there will be strong action against every goon irrespective of one's caste. We will make Uttar Pradesh free of "goonda raj"," he said.

He described Samajwadi Party as the BJP's principal rival and it can alone defeat the ruling party of the state.

"BSP is upset as to why I do not attack Behenji (Mayawati) in my speeches. But I feel our fight is with SP. If anyone can defeat the SP, it is BJP's workers," Shah said.

He accused Akhilesh of creating roadblocks in development as he said the Modi government had brought a number of schemes for welfare of the people and mentioned some of them like supply of free LPG connection to BPL families.

"The manner in which we wanted to take central schemes to the beneficiaries could not be done as UP government is creating hurdles in their implementation due to political reasons," he told reporters here.
Citing examples, he said the state government did not finalise tenders under PM Kisan Crop Insurance Scheme, causing loss to the farmers.

"Similar is the situation in MGNREGA, where e-registering was not done as a result of which people were not getting their payments. They are creating hurdles in all our schemes," he said. He accused the SP government of being "neck deep in corruption" and cited the Yadav Singh case in Noida scam.

"SP which came to power the plank of removing corruption has not done anything concrete on that front. SP and BSP have a tacit understanding. When SP comes to power it shields the corruption of BSP and when BSP comes to power it releases goons patronised by SP," he alleged.

Raising questions over law and order situation in UP, Shah said, "Mathura violence has caused concern among people who fear that such an incident can take place any time. The government remained silent for two years and officers are killed. No government can be so insensitive." He slammed the critics of Prime Minister's foreign travels saying these were being noticed because Modi was getting rousing receptions everywhere he was going. He credited the people of UP with PM's warm receptions abroad on grounds that the voters of the state had elected him an MP and made him the PM.

"No one in the world earlier knew of any foreign trip of the PM. Today they know because Modiji gets a rousing reception wherever he goes. This welcome is not for the PM. It is not even for the BJP. It is for the people of UP who made Narendra Modi an MP and a PM," Shah said.

Lauding the work done by Modi government during the two years, the BJP chief said "the entire opposition is perturbed and nervous".

"There is not a single allegation of corruption against the present regime" and said the Modi government has provided a corruption-free regime, he said.

He expressed confidence that BJP will get two-thirds majority in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. "People ask as to how we will get majority government in UP. It will become possible due to your (workers) efforts," Shah said.

Attacking the Congress, he said "Rahul Gandhi is asking what the Modi government has done in two years. Rahul baba, what do you ask from us? The biggest thing we have done is to give the country a Prime Minister who talks. During your times, for ten years no one except you and your mother heard the Prime Minister speak. The people of the country craved to hear the Prime Minister for ten years."

He alleged that during 10 years of UPA, which was supported by SP and BSP, scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore took place. "They left no place whether it is the skies, water, earth and beneath the surface where corruption and scams did not take place," Shah said while listing out various scams during the UPA regime.

While attacking the SP government over Mathura incident, he said, "Even after what happened in Mathura, these people are not ashamed of themselves. SP is into land-grabbing in the state. The BJP will start a email helpline service. Our workers will help people free their encroached lands, Shah said sharpening the BJP s electoral pitch in UP, where PM Modi recently addressed a rally to mark the second anniversary of his Government.

While criticising Akhilesh Yadav government, he asked the people whether they get power for 24 hours in UP. "There is no shortage of power, the shortcoming is in intentions. In two years, we (NDA government) gave power to 9,000 villages," he said.

While seeking mandate for BJP, Shah recounted the governments of party leaders Kalyan Singh and Rajnath Singh, saying those were popular in the state.

On minorities, he said, "BJP has government in 15 states and minorities feel more safe there than Akhilesh Yadav's Uttar Pradesh."

Asked about BJP's efforts to woo Dalits, he said there was no need to lure them as they already know that only BJP would ensure that benefits reah them. The query was in the context of Shah recently breaking bread with Dalit families.

On Ram temple issue, the BJP chief said it was part of manifesto, but it should be resolved either amicably or by the court's decision. "We are firm on our stand that either it should be sorted out amicably or by the court," he said.

When asked as to who would be BJP's face in UP Assembly polls, he said no decision has been taken so far. On whether Modi's charisma was declining, he retorted saying it was intact. Shah said either it was during tenure of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee or Modi that the world has started feeling that 21st century belongs to India.

Regarding PWD Minister Shivpal Sigh Yadav's counter attack over Mathura incident, Shah dared the government to hand over the inquiry to some independent agency and the truth will come out. He alleged that not only government land, but even land belonging to the poor is being encroached. "BJP will launch an agitation against it as well as take up the matter legally," he said. He said that in UP, it was not clear who was running the government. "According to my estimate there are six CMs in the state. Therefore, I appeal to the people of the state to give chance to BJP this time (2017 Assembly elections)," he said.

Underscoring the importance of progress of UP, the BJP chief said for the country to have double digit growth, Uttar Pradesh needs to have double digit growth. "This will be possible only when BJP comes to power with two-third majority," he said.

To a query regarding a sting operation related to alleged horse-trading in Karnataka, he said BJP has adequate numbers for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections.

On allegations of criminal cases against him and BJP's UP unit chief Keshav Prasad Maurya levelled by opposition parties, Shah said, "There is no criminal case against me and as far as Maurya is concerned, you know how cases are filed in UP."

On BJP MP Subramanian Swamy's demand for termination of RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan's services, Shah says it was his personal opinion and BJP has not said anything on it.