BJP accuses Akhilesh Yadav of allowing loot in UP

New Delhi: Rejecting allegations of vendetta politics, the BJP on Sunday said  instead of questioning the timing of the CBI raids in connection with the alleged illegal mining, the Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav should answer why so much “loot” had happened under his government.

Amid reports that the CBI may quiz him, the SP chief said he is ready to face the probe agency and targeted the BJP, saying it is leaving a “culture”, which may be used against it in the future.

Interestingly, these raids were conducted on the day SP and BSP indicated their intent to join hands to counter the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The CBI had carried out searches at 14 locations on Saturday in connection with its FIR against 11 persons including IAS officer B Chandrakala, SP MLC Ramesh Kumar Mishra and Sanjay Dixit (who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 assembly election on a BSP ticket) to probe alleged illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur district during 2012-16.

Demanding that the CBI investigate the former UP CM whose government was “hand in glove” with the accused in the case, UP Cabinet minister Siddharth Nath Singh rejected the charge that the CBI’s searches were politically motivated.

Mr Singh said the two Opposition parties are fighting for survival and those who are”langde-lulhe” (physically handicapped) need “baisakhi “crutches.

“If you loot public money, then law will take its own course,” said Mr Singh, adding that the CBI is reporting to the Allahabad high court, which had ordered a probe in 2016. Mr  Singh alleged that Mr Yadav’s tenure as chief minister between 2012-17 was a story of loot of minerals and that he presided over a government hand in glove with the mining syndicate.

Amid reports that the CBI may quiz him, the SP chief said he is ready to face the probe agency.

“Samajwadi Party is making efforts to win maximum Lok Sabha seats. Those who want to stop us, have the CBI with them. Once the Congress did CBI probe, and I was questioned. If the BJP is doing all this, the CBI will question me, I will answer (them). But, the people are ready to give an answer to the BJP,” Mr Yadav told reporters in Lucknow.

Meanwhile, Opposition parties on Sunday accused the BJP of using probe agencies for “executing its political strategy” after it emerged that the CBI may quiz Mr Yadav in a case of illegal mining.