Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan slammed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for spending public money on what he termed as Rs extravagant’ Gorakhpur festival. He said that the people were reeling under the spell of cold wave and many had died but instead of reaching out to the poor and vulnerable people, the state government was splurging public money on celebrations like Gorakhpur festival.
“What is the cause of celebration in Gorakhpur ? Have they done anything unique for the people of UP or they are celebrating misery of the people ? When the BJP was in opposition, they made a big issue out of Sefai festival and maligned the then ruling Samajwadi Party. They are doing same thing today,” said Khan in Rampur on Friday.
Making a sarcastic comment on Gorakhpur festival, Khan said, “Gorakhpur has a religious and historic importance.Besides, it’s the city of the Rs Raja of UP’ and hence Rs 36 lakh is a small amount spent by the state government. It should be as high as Rs 300 crore.’’
Referring to the death of children due to short supply of oxygen at BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur in August last year, Khan said, “Children died in the medical college due to shortage of oxygen as the hospital could not pay to the oxygen supplier. No record of causalities was maintained by the medical college which was insult to the children and their parents.”
Khan demanded payment of compensation to the parents of the children who died due to encephalitis in Gorakhpur medical college.
The SP leader also criticised the NDA government for targeting Muslims saying the Bill banning triple talaq passed by Lok Sabha would cause more problem for the community than solving.