Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh): Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday claimed that the BJP and BSP have joined hands covertly and urged the voters from SC, ST and OBC communities that have been supporting Mayawati's party to choose the INDIA bloc this time "to save the Constitution".
Addressing an election rally here, Yadav said only Uttar Pradesh "can save the country" by voting out the BJP. "This election is about saving our future. At the same time, this election is also about saving the Constitution, which gives us respect, which protects our rights.
"It is being seen that BJP and BSP have joined hands covertly. Hence, we want to appeal to the people of 'Bahujan Samaj' that this election is also to save the Constitution of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and they should support the INDIA bloc," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.
The SP and BSP had jointly fought the 2019 Lok Sabha election but this time the BSP is going it alone. If these people (BJP) come to power, they can do anything... on many occasions they did not allow the MPs in Lok Sabha to present their views," the SP chief claimed. Taking a jibe at the BJP's '400-paar' election slogan, he said, "Those who were talking about 400-paar are going to lose 400 seats.
"The BJP used to say big things, but their confidence has shattered. Even their tongue is faltering due to this. Now no one wants to listen to the BJP's old stories and old worn-out dialogues," he said. Yadav alleged that every promise made by the BJP in the last 10 years has turned out to be false.
"The government did not pay attention to the development of Purvanchal (eastern Uttar Pradesh). After the elections, if the INDIA bloc government is formed at the Centre, the Samajwadi will have to run special schemes for development in Purvanchal," he said. Yadav reiterated the promise of scrapping the Agniveer scheme if the opposition alliance is voted to power.
"Those in power at present have realised that their government is not going to be formed after June 4 ... that is why their language has changed," the SP chief said.
