BJP thrives on divisive politics, negative thinking: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused the BJP of pursuing divisive politics, weakening democratic institutions and failing on the fronts of employment, education and healthcare. He called it "a gang of divisive elements" and "a party of negative thinking" rather than a political organisation.

Speaking after paying floral tributes to Acharya Narendra Dev on his 137th birth anniversary in Lucknow, Yadav said the BJP thrives on communal politics and negativity. He alleged that communal forces pose the biggest threat to the country and claimed that the BJP and its "underground workers" are constantly engaged in weakening democracy.

He also accused the BJP government of fuelling inflation and unemployment while allowing corruption to reach its peak.

"They promised a trillion-dollar economy but started with 'chanda chori'. Even the offerings from Lord Ram's temple were stolen," he alleged.

He also accused the government of making profits through inflation and denying farmers fair prices for their crops.

"Farmers' incomes have not doubled. The BJP has deceived farmers, youth and every section of society. There are no jobs for the young generation," he said.

The SP chief claimed that people in Uttar Pradesh have already made up their minds to oust the BJP.

"No one will be able to save the BJP now. We will defeat it and remove it. Once the BJP is ousted from UP, it will be removed from the country as well," he claimed.

Yadav criticised the state government alleging that it shut down 26,000 primary schools, and were planning to open liquor shops there.

"Acharya Narendra Dev believed education alone can reform society. By closing schools, the BJP is committing anti-national acts," he said.

He also accused the government of deliberately destroying government hospitals so that patients are forced to go to private facilities, claiming that hundreds of private hospitals have come up in Gorakhpur and Agra during the BJP's rule.

Responding to a question on Union home minister Amit Shah, Akhilesh Yadav listed a series of issues that he said required urgent attention, including "rising deaths in police custody, high incidence of crimes against women, cyber fraud, murders, alleged harassment of PDA communities, disproportionate presence of these communities in jails, injustice towards Muslims, use of bulldozers against the innocent, the alleged caste-based composition of the STF, and the decline of the Dial 100 service."

"The people of every section -- students, youth, teachers, farmers and traders -- will teach the BJP a lesson," Yadav said.