Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): Uttar Pradesh government was the worst in Covid-19 management "in the world", Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Sunday as he held the Yogi Adityanath led administration responsible for the high number of Covid deaths in the state.
The Delhi Chief Minister was addressing a rally in Lucknow on Sunday as his party launched its election campaign for the upcoming UP assembly elections.
"In the last 5 years, UP government has not just made cremation grounds but has also dispatched a lot of people there," said the AAP chief, whose party is contesting all the 403 seats in the state.
In an apparent reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal said, “In 2017, the BJP’s tallest leader had said if ‘kabristans’ (cemeteries) are made in Uttar Pradesh, then ‘samshans’ (crematoriums) should also come up. Unfortunately, Adityanath in the past five years only constructed crematoriums and made arrangements to send a large section of citizens there.”
He said UP had earned a bad name for making "worst" arrangements during the second Covid wave.
“If there was any state in the world that had made the worst arrangements to deal with the pandemic, it was Uttar Pradesh,” he said.
“To cover its misdemeanour, the UP government had given 10-page advertisements in US magazines, splurging the hard-earned money of people,” he alleged.
The AAP’s convener said while his rivals were good at “constructing graveyards and crematoriums”, he knows “how to get schools and hospitals constructed”.
"If you want free electricity, vote for us otherwise you can vote for Yogi ji. If you want good hospitals and schools, vote for us or else you can vote for Yogi ji," he said.
He further said that when Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia spoke about improvement in our schools, he was challenged by UP education minister to see the schools in UP.
"But when Sisodia came here, he was stopped by the police from visiting any school. I now invite Yogi ji to visit our schools in Delhi," he said.
Talking about Ayodhya, Kejriwal said that he had visited the holy city recently and was slammed by the BJP.
"I do not know what wrong I did. After going back to Delhi, I sent two trains full of people to visit Ayodhya and the trips were free. If we form government here, I will do the same for you," he said.
He said that the people of Uttar Pradesh have given a chance to the SP, the BSP, the BJP and the Congress.
"Give us one chance and if we do not work properly, I will not ask you for another chance," he stated.
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