Akhilesh Yadav accuses BJP of job losses and employment failure

PTI, Apr 26, 2024, 6:14 PM IST

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday attacked the BJP over the issue of leaked exam papers in Uttar Pradesh and the alleged rising unemployment, accusing the ‘double-engine’ government of the party of ruining the lives of youths.

Addressing an election rally here in support of the party candidate, the SP chief said the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh deliberately leaked exam papers to avoid giving jobs to the youth.

”They have snatched your jobs and failed to generate employment. The youth must think seriously about this, the BJP has ruined one-third of your lives,” the SP president said.

”Without jobs, the future of the youth is dark and they are facing bleak marriage prospects,” he added.

Recalling how question papers of different exams were leaked in Uttar Pradesh recently, the SP chief alleged that the BJP did it deliberately as it did not want to provide jobs to the people.

Had they acted when the first paper was leaked, it would not have happened again. These people had claimed that the exams would be conducted safely, he said.

He said the ‘Agnipath’ scheme has put the safety of the country in jeopardy and asked the youth to ensure the victory of the INDIA bloc if it wanted to bring back the earlier system of recruitment to the army.

Pointing at a group of police personnel deployed at the venue of the rally, he said, ”Those in khaki uniforms (police) think their jobs are permanent, but if the BJP comes, they will have jobs only for three years.” Attacking the BJP over the issue of farm laws, he said the farmers are unhappy even today as they are not getting the right price for their produce. Industrialists with huge warehouses are purchasing their produce and controlling the prices, he said.

Yadav alleged that the free ration being provided by the government to the poor is of inferior quality.

On electoral bonds, he said, ”It is not donation but extortion. People often help each other with donations but does give Rs 1,000 crore? The BJP people do not want to talk about it. This too is a reason behind the rising inflation. If someone gives you money, will he not realise it?”.

The SP president, who saw several of his allies parting ways in the run-up to the elections, said, ”Those gone have not left us. We will win the election and bring them to our side.” Promising to waive loans of farmers once the INDIA bloc is voted to power, Yadav said Rs 16 lakh crore loans of capitalists were waived by the ruling party.

”Does it happen anywhere else in the world? I am telling the poor and farmers that when INDIA will come into power, the loans of farmers will be waived,” he said.

Describing these elections as ‘samvidhan manthan’, he said, ”On the one side are those who want to save the Constitution and on the other are ‘samvidhan bhakshak’ who want to abolish the Constitution.” The BJP has fielded Rajveer Singh, son of late former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, from Etah while the Congress-backed Samajwadi Party candidate is Devesh Shakya. The Voting will be held in the third phase on May 7.