Lucknow: Opposition parties Thursday contested Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's claims on development and law and order during the first half of his term, with the Samajwadi Party saying Uttar Pradesh is moving at the speed of a bullock cart.
"The UP government is making false claims and celebrating the completion of two-and-a-half years. People thought that with a double engine the state's progress will gain momentum, but it is moving ahead at a snail's pace," SP president Akhilesh Yadav said.
The double engine was a reference to the BJP's earlier claim that the state will develop quicker with the same party in power in Lucknow and at the Centre.
"The pace of the state's development is not that of a double-engine machine but of a bullock cart," Yadav said.
The opposition attack followed Adityanath's press conference here on his government reaching the mid-point of its five-year term. Adityanath had claimed that the perception about the state has changed during his term and the improvement in law and order had played an important role in this.
There has not been a single incident of riot in the state in the past two-and-half years," Adityanath said, referring apparently to large-scale communal clashes. The Opposition parties disagreed.
"The chief minister's claims on law and order are far from truth. The reality is that during his tenure crime against girls has hit an all-time high, Yadav said.
So many murders never took place in the past, he claimed. UP has surpassed other states in incidents of loot, rape and murder."
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Raj Babbar said, "The law and order scenario in the state is grim.
There is fear in the minds of the people. Incidents of rape are being reported from different parts of the state. Atrocities committed on women and murders are taking place at busy locations in the state capital," Babbar alleged.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati said the BJP government's record in the state so far has been disappointing.
This government has failed badly particularly on law and order and controlling crime, she tweeted in Hindi.
Congress spokesman Anshu Awasthi said the government's only achievement has been saving "rapist MLAs and leaders associated with it.
Rashtriya Lok Dal spokesperson Anil Dubey also referred to crime against women and the notices served by the National Human Rights Commission to the state.
The remarks were an indirect reference to the rape accusation against former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand in Shahjahanpur and a similar charge against expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in Unnao.
Though the Shahjahanpur woman recorded her statement before a magistrate on Monday, an FIR mentioning the rape charge is yet to be lodged in the state.
The police, however, say they are following procedure and will submit a report to the Supreme Court after completing their probe by September 23.
During his press meet, Adityanath said the prosecution in sexual assault cases against minors has been speeded up.
He gave an example from Auraiya, in which a life imprisonment sentence has already been pronounced for a rape committed in the first week of August.
Akhilesh Yadav claimed the BJP government is patting itself on back over farm loan waiver but the farmers are still committing suicide.
Congress spokesperson Awasthi asked, "What happened to the promise to the youth on providing jobs?"
"This government has, however, been successful in organising big events by spending a lot of money, claiming investment of over Rs 4.28 lakh crore through the investors' summit. But what is the result? They lack the right intention of seeing these development projects become a reality," he said.
RLD's Dubey claimed the Adityanath government has failed to keep its promises not only on law and order, but also on issues concerning farmers, youth and women.
"Inflation, power tariff hike and unemployment are glaring issues but the government has remained busy in just patting its back without caring for the problems of the common man," Dubey added.
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