Uttar Pradesh elections: Akhilesh, Jayant attack CM over ‘garmi’ comment, say he insulted people of western UP

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and RLD’s Jayant Chaudhary on Friday attacked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his alleged remarks on the “hot-blooded” leaders of their alliance and accused him of insulting the people of western Uttar Pradesh. Adityanath had recently said the “khoon ki garmi” of Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leaders would cool down once the assembly election results come in.

Addressing a joint press conference here with Chaudhary, the SP chief alleged that the BJP was trying to break the SP-RLD alliance.

“The CM of the state talks about ‘thok dunga’ (knock down) and uses unparliamentary language in the house. Now he has said ‘garmi nikal denge’. Our alliance has many colours, but these one-coloured people (BJP) want to end it,” he said.

Yadav said because of the “wrong policies” of the state government, the income of farmers has not increased while inflation is sky-high.

“Not only are the prices of diesel and petrol high, but that of household things are too going through the roof,” Yadav said.

The SP chief alleged that the BJP government in the state did not ensure proper arrangements when the COVID-19 pandemic was raging and people were running from pillar to post to get access hospital beds, medicines, and oxygen cylinders.

“That was a difficult time for the people of the state. Due to the lockdown, we saw a young boy sleeping on a suitcase being wheeled by his mother while a youth of Morena died in Agra after walking for about 200 kilometres,” he said.

“The BJP government talks about one district, one product, but fails. The double engine governments have ruined the business of the traders,” said SP Chief.

Talking about the alliance’s plans for Agra, Yadav said, “When the SP-RLD government comes to power in the state, we would make another airport in Hirangaon at a distance of 12-14 kilometres from Agra.”

“When we were in power, we connected Tajganj and Hazaratganj through the Agra-Lucknow Expressway and made connectivity easier for traders and farmers,” he said.

Addressing the conference, Chaudhary said, “Will threats of lathicharge and expressions like ‘garmi nikal dunga’ ensure development of Agra or Uttar Pradesh. The remark ‘garmi nikal dunga’ is an insult to the people of western Uttar Pradesh.”

He was referring to the Prayagraj Police cracking down on a group of students for allegedly trying to stop a train while protesting against the railway recruitment process.

“Now youths and farmers want a positive change because they feel that they have been cheated by the present government. This government made false promises and committed a fraud with the youth and farmers.”

He said incidents of rape and murder in Hathras, Bulandshahar and Unnao prove that the tall claims of improved law and order situation under the BJP government are hollow.