Cycle can ride through storm: CM Akhilesh Yadav

Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "BJP storm" remark against him, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today said Samajwadis know how to ride "cycle" through a storm.

Akhilesh also accused Modi of distorting crime data of the state.

"The Prime Minister is saying there is a BJP storm and the chief minister fears that he might be blown off. But we Samajwadis know how to ride a cycle against wind," he said.

His barb came at a series of election meetings in Sitapur and adjoining Lakhimpur Kheri a day after Modi said in Aligarh yesterday that, "...When the wind is so strong, even a young leader cannot face it and seeks help of anything ...Even a pole...But this time BJP 'aandhi' (storm) is so strong that the chief minister fears that he might be blown off..."

He said, "If he (Modi) feels storm in UP, he might have felt some strong winds in Punjab also."Akhilesh charged Modi with misrepresenting facts and figures about UP.

Reacting to Modi's remark on poor law and order situation in the state, Akhilesh said, "God knows from where the PM obtained figures (about UP)...The Prime Minister should have honestly put up correct figures before the people."Continuing his diatribe, the chief minister said, "If there be the worst states in country in terms of law and order - on number 1, number 2 and number 3, these are the BJP-ruled states."

Akhilesh listed the achievements of his government and said that more development will take place if SP returned to power.Attacking BJP, he said, "This party made people stand in queues outside banks...Many poor people lost their lives but BJP did not come to their rescue. It was the SP government that announced a financial aid of Rs 2 lakh for the families of such people.

"No one got Rs 15 lakh



after all the money was deposited into bank accounts (during the demonetisation drive). Now, they are not telling us how much black money... How much ill-gotten money is there."

On the SP-Congress poll alliance, the chief minister said, "It has accelerated the pace of SP's cycle...We did not act like a miser friend. We gave a good number of seats to Congress."

Defending his party's alliance with Congress, he said, "The 'hand' of Congress would speed up the pace of 'cycle'."He also explained to people why SP gave more seats to Congress, saying, "We believe in firm friendship with a large heart."

Out of the 403 Assembly seats, SP will contest 298 leaving the rest for its ally.Responding to "achchey din" rhetoric by BJP, Akhilesh cited hardships caused by demonetisation and said, "Those promising better days to people made them stand in lines outside banks."

He said, "BJP brought all public money into banks in the name of black and white money, benefitting only banks and not to the poor, the farmers."The SP chief asked BJP to divulge figures, saying, "All public money is with banks and now the government must explain to people how much money was black or came from Pakistan."

"They had said they would deposit Rs 15 lakh in each account but not even Rs 15,000 have been deposited," he rued.While appealing people to vote for SP and Congress, he reiterated his commitment to provide Samajwadi pension to all Tharu tribals of Kheri close to Terai region of Nepal in the foothills of the Himalayas.

He promised to link Sitapur-Lakhimpur four-lane highway to Pilibhit through Dudhwa.UP minister Balwant Singh Ramuwalia predicted a rout for BJP in Punjab, Goa and UP and said demonetisation would hit the saffron party badly.