In a series of election rallies across Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah leveled serious allegations against the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its leader, Akhilesh Yadav. Addressing crowds in Ballia, Deoria, and Maharajganj, Shah accused the SP government of discriminating in power supply during religious festivals and harboring criminal elements.
Amit Shah claimed that during Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure as Chief Minister, there was a stark disparity in the electricity supply during different religious festivals. “There was only a power supply for three-four hours daily, but there was an uninterrupted supply during Ramzan and not on Janmashtami,” Shah stated, according to a PTI report.
In Deoria, Shah shifted his focus to the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He accused the Opposition of attempting to halt the temple’s construction, contrasting it with the BJP’s commitment to completing the project. “This election is between those who constructed the Ram temple and those who opened fire on Ram bhakts,” Shah asserted, referring to the 1990 firing on kar sevaks by the then SP government.
Praising the current UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Shah highlighted the crackdown on criminal activities under the BJP government. He accused the SP government of colluding with the mafia and harassing the public. “Yogi Adityanath’s government rid the state of criminals,” he said, adding that Adityanath’s cleanliness drive and strong stance against the mafia had transformed the state.
Shah predicted a significant victory for the BJP in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, claiming that the party had already crossed 300 seats in the first five rounds of voting. He also preempted potential reactions from the Opposition, suggesting that leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav would blame their defeat on electronic voting machines (EVMs). “The counting is on June 4. In the afternoon, the two ‘shehzade’ will hold a press conference and say we lost the election because EVM was defective,” Shah remarked.
Bringing up past scandals, Shah accused Akhilesh Yadav of being responsible for the Sahara scam, stating that it occurred during the SP government’s tenure. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for initiating the process of refunding money to the scam’s victims.
As the Lok Sabha elections approach their final phase, Shah’s rallies aim to consolidate support for BJP and NDA candidates. Polling will culminate on June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.
