Akhilesh defends Vadra, calls Modi a model of dividing India

A day after Bharatiya Janata Party released a video attacking Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav defended Vadra and accused the BJP of blowing the issue of the land deals out of proportion. He also slammed the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, saying Narendra Modi’s name meant a model of dividing India.

Yadav, without naming anyone, said that the BJP was raising the issue to distract people from other things. “The BJP is unnecessarily blowing the land issue out of proportion. This is not a big thing. Which party does not give land to companies to set up project for the development of the area when it comes to power? By creating hype over the issue, the BJP is distracting the attention of the people from other things,” Yadav said, without naming anyone, while addressing an election rally at Jaidpur.

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Attacking BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Yadav added, “You don’t know the full form of Modi. It is model of dividing India and Modi wants to divide the country on caste and religious lines.”

He claimed Modi was made the prime ministerial candidate owing to the pressure by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, but their intentions would never be fulfilled.  

Yadav also challenged the BJP to respond to how many seats would they would win in West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, etc. He also stressed that the possibility of the formation of the Third Front government was strong after last three phases of polling were over.

“The Gujarat model is being discussed throughout the country, whereas it has nothing as such. As compared to Gujarat, more development has taken place in UP. Within two years, unemployment allowance was given, arrangement of free education was made and laptops were distributed. The government has provided free treatment to the poor from its own resources,” he claimed.

The CM said that children of rural areas, who used to feel afraid of English, now feel comfortable after getting laptops. “The Samajwadi Party has paid much attention on education. So much money would have not been spent in Gujarat on welfare schemes. Gujarat has no model of its own,” he added.

In the rally organised in an area dominated by weavers, Akhilesh said that a separate package would be announced for them after the Lok Sabha elections. He said that like kisan bazaars, separate markets would be provided for the products of weavers.