Only BJP can save UP: Amit Shah

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Amit Shah accused members of Uttar Pradesh’s ruling Samajwadi Party of fighting with each other instead of serving the people, and said its efforts to forge a “grand alliance” ahead of next year’s elections will fail.

Even as parties, members of the erstwhile “Janata Parivar”, joined the SP’s silver jubilee celebrations in Lucknow on Saturday, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, the party’s UP chief, continued to attack each other.

“Shaking hands on the dais will not serve any purpose. These parties must learn to shake hands with the people, something the BJP has already done”, Mr Shah said on Saturday, flagging off the BJP’s Parivartan Yatra in western UP’s Saharanpur.

“The ones, who were given power to usher in development in the state, are today busy insulting each other. Nephew (Akhilesh Yadav) and uncle (Shivpal Yadav) are abusing each other, while Behenji (BSP supremo Mayawati) is abusing both of them...No one is concerned about the state’s development,” Mr Shah said.

He looked to consolidate votes of the majority community and said if the BJP came to power in the state, no migration of people would be allowed, a reference to controversial reports of Hindu migration from western UP pockets. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chose Saharanpur to address a rally in May when his government at the Centre turned two.

Mr Shah mentioned the names of some controversial Muslim leaders both in the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, saying only “the BJP was free from such elements” to provide a clean administration. “Both parties are known for harbouring criminals,” he said. He also raised the issue of triple talaq, saying the contentious custom should be abolished to protect Muslim women.

Mr Shah targeted BSP chief Mayawati and said most attacks on dalits took place in Uttar Pradesh during her rule. “Funds meant for UP’s development were used in building memorials and statues,” he said. The BJP’s Yatra will conclude in Lucknow on December 24, with a rally likely to be addressed by Mr Modi.

Mr Shah also attacked the Congress for “playing politics over the death of an ex-serviceman. “They are doing vote bank politics. This is disgusting.” The ex-soldier killed himself, accusing the Centre of not implementing the one-rank-one-pension (Orop) scheme with all the benefits promised.

“Rahul Gandhi talks about Orop, but it is the BJP government that implemented the policy while the Congress did not do anything for decades,” he said.