Will continue to fight for the deprived: UPCC chief

Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu said after being released from jail that his fight for exposing the real face' of the BJP-led state government has begun and he will continue fighting for poor workers.

Lucknow:Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Thursday said that he would continue to fight for poor workers and labourers, and expose the corruption of the state government.

Interacting with the media after being released on bail in a forgery case over his party's offer of 1,000 buses to ferry migrant labourers to the state, he said that his fight for exposing the real face' of the BJP-led state government has begun.

"We will expose the real face of this corrupt government and take it to its right conclusion till the government accepts its folly and apologise," Lallu said.

I have come out of the jail with the resolve to take the fight for the poor and deprived forward, he asserted.

Lallu also accused the Yogi Adityanath government of being afraid, adding it was crushing all voices raised against its atrocities.

All those be it journalists, social workers or political leaders, whoever has raised his voice against the atrocities (of the state government) has got FIRs filed against them. They wanted to do the same with me, Lallu said.

This government is neck deep in corruption and the manner in which cases have come to the fore in the recent times prove it, he said, citing different cases like the teachers recruitment scam and tender fraud in the animal husbandry department.

Chief Minister says this government has zero tolerance against corruption. If there is any morality left, the basic education and animal husbandry ministers should resign. The government is aware (of it) and so is trying to hide the scams, the Congress leader alleged.

Commenting on the bus controversy, he said the government's intention was not right and it wanted the poor labourers to continue their journey on foot.

"The labourers were forced to walk back home and accidents were taking place on a daily basis. Under such circumstances, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought permission for 1,000 buses," Lallu said.

"They got afraid that if the buses provided by the Congress would come to the state, it would be their (BJP) loss of face and they put me in jail," he said.

On Tuesday, the Allahabad High Court granted bail to Lallu who was arrested on May 20 for allegedly furnishing fake documents related to the 1,000 buses that the Congress offered to the government for ferrying stranded workers back to Uttar Pradesh amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

As both sides accused each other of playing politics, the state government rejected the offer saying the list of buses included many vehicles without valid fitness and insurance documents.

It said the list submitted by the Congress even included vehicles like autorickshaws and two-wheelers.

The UPCC chief added that he was treated like a common prisoner in jail and was not allowed to meet anyone, not even his lawyers.

"I stood in queue to take food. While inside I was concerned about the state of workers and labourers and wrote a letter for them, but was not allowed to send it owing to jail manuals. Strange that even an MLA did not have the right to write to people," he said.

Thanking the high court which granted him bail, Lallu said the court has also said that there should not have been any problem in taking the buses offered by the Congress.

"Coronavirus is an epidemic and everyone has a responsibility. What was wrong if Congress wanted to cooperate with the government?," he said.

The state Congress chief said cases were lodged against 69 party workers for protesting against his arrest.

I am ready to go to jail a thousand times for the poor, Dalits and deprived people," he asserted.

A two-minute silence was also observed to pay homage to the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in a face-off with Chinese Army at Galwan Valley in Ladakh.

(PTI REPORT)