Akhilesh ridicules UP CM Yogi on PETN scare

The Former Chief Minister and Samajwadi party (SP) National President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday revealed that the powder found inside the UP Assembly on July 12, 2017 was not PETN but granules for polishing furniture.

Yadav alleged that the BJP government hurriedly jumped to the conclusion without verifying it from Central labs to check entry of former legislators and muzzle the voice of the opposition by putting the blame on them.

He further alleged that the ruling government was misusing police by implicating false cases against SP leaders and workers across the state. "Party legislators are being terrorised and lured away to defect to BJP so that five ministers, including Chief Minister and his two deputies, take a back door route to enter state legislature without going to the people and contesting assembly polls," charged he.

Akhilesh questioned Yogi Adityanath's Ram Rajya in Uttar Pradesh. "Those who should have been in jail have gone to the BJP. Legislators who have defected to the BJP are being given 'prasad' (reward). Is this what you call it Yogi Aditynath's concept of bringing Ram Rajya in Uttar Pradesh?" quipped Akhilesh.

The SP president said that during assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had accused Samajwadis of running police stations, will Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath tell who is running them now? he questioned.

"He also took a dig at the deteriorating law and order saying that the present government has miserably failed to control the crime. "Have ghey put behind bars a single land mafia? No, because all land mafias have now joined the BJP," he charged.

Akhilesh, however, admitted that his convoy violated law by not paying toll tax at toll plaza in Bara Bank. He, however, was annoyed over media for puting the number of his convoy vehicles to 175. Yadav was on way to Bara Banki to address a meeting when his convoy passed the toll plaza in Bara Banki distrit without paying tax.

"I admit my mistake and request NHAI to raise the bill for payment. I have already directed all my party leaders and workers to pay toll taxes," he said.