Protesting farmers will bring down BJP government: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the protesting farmers will bring down the BJP government, which is being unjust and oppressive, and added that his party will form the government after winning the 2022 state Assembly elections.

Akhilesh was addressing the media after Sumaiyya Rana, the daughter of Urdu poet Munawwar Rana, joined his party along with Bahujan Samaj Party’s Masood Alam and former MLA Ramesh Gautam.

Rana was an important face of the protests against National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) organised in the state capital.

During the address, Akhilesh also suggested that once his party comes to power, all fake FIRs registered in connection with the anti-NRC and anti-CAA protests will be withdrawn.

“The Samajwadi Party was never in favour of NRC and CAA. We were the first to say “Kagaz nahi dikhayenge (Won’t show documents). It is important to consider counting of castes when such a big exercise is planned. Also, all fake FIRs will be withdrawn in the coming days,” he said.

There are several FIRs registered against Rana in connection to the protests held for over a month in Lucknow’s Ghantaghar.

During his address, Akhilesh said his party was open to the idea of joining hands with other smaller political parties to form the government in the state. He added that the present state government is merely following the vision of Samajwadi Party and that the Purvanchal Expressway, which was inaugurated by the BJP government, was originally their idea and execution.

“They started the Metro in Lucknow and released photos of what we have built. You need to think why they are not able to build the Metro… CM said Metro services will be started in Gorakhpur, and now people are waiting there. On the other hand, foundation stone is being laid in Agra and other places. If it would have been their vision, services would have started in Gorakhpur first,” he said.

On the ongoing farmers’ protest, Akhilesh said the SP has continuously been part of this “andolan” (agitation), and every single worker of his party is raising voice against the farm laws. “I can say this with confidence that the highest number of cases being registered in the country for this protest is against the SP members,” said Akhilesh.

Talking about West Bengal, he said the BJP indulges in politics of hate and threaten people to join it. It is their model to use the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI, and force a senior leader leader join BJP and turn the person against one’s own party. He further requested the people of Bengal to send a message that politics of hate cannot succeed.