Agencies
Lucknow, December 22:
UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh on Sunday challenged Samajwadi Party leaders to visit West Bengal and see for themselves how the Trinamool Congress (TMC) runs the government in that state.
“Please tell the SP to visit Bengal and see how the TMC runs the government there. How they (TMC) chop off the hands of those unfurling flags (of other parties). How they cut the throat. Tell the SP to go to Bengal and unfurl its party flag there and field a candidate against the TMC,” he said.
Singh was responding to a question at a press conference at the party headquarters here on reports of SP leaders going to Lucknow airport to meet TMC leaders, who were not allowed to enter the city.
A four-member Trinamool Congress delegation visiting UP was stopped at Lucknow airport, one of the delegates, Member of Parliament Nadimul Haque, said.
Singh’s broadside at the SP came hours after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav blamed the ruling saffron party for not addressing burning issues like unemployment and bad state of the economy.
Referring to the situation in the state, the UP BJP chief said, “UP is moving ahead on the road of peace, and law and order scenario is good. We should not spread lies to realise our vested political interests. My appeal is that UP should not be taken on the path of violence and riots.
“I have met Muslim clerics and prominent people and spoken to them. All of them have to say that the decision (CAA) taken by Modiji and Amit Shahji is in the interest of the nation, society, poor and for the country’s development. It is not against the Muslims”.
He also accused the SP-BSP-Congress of misleading the state and the country.
Decisions like demonetisation, abrogation of Article 370 or surgical strikes were in the interest of the country, he said.
“Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and even Akhilesh Yadav should openly come out and speak on host of issues including CAA, but they should not misguide the youth,” Singh said.
He also said that from December 26 to January 25, 2020, the state BJP will run awareness campaigns, rallies and padyatras on CAA.
Hitting out at the SP, the UP BJP chief said, “Violation of law is a culture of the SP, and if the SP chief feels violation of law as an achievement, then his party workers will follow him”.
He claimed that “lies” pertaining to CAA must be eradicated, and that such “lies” were gradually fading.
