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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the ruling Samajwadi Party, its ally the Congress and the BSP would get “electric shocks” when the results of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections are announced on March 11.
Modi’s sharp riposte came in response to a remark by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who had asked him to feel an electric wire to verify if complaints of poor supply were true.
On the campaign trail, Modi has been attacking the Samajwadi Party government over “poor” power supply in the State and also controversially accused it of discrimination in its distribution along religious lines, a charge rubbished by the Chief Minister. “On March 11, election results will give an electric shock to the SP, the BSP and the Congress,” he said.
“Akhilesh has dared me to touch an electric wire to find out whether power is really there or not. His new friend Rahul Gandhi, during his ‘khaat sabha’ at Madihan in Mirzapur, however, had touched the wire and told his party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad that there was nothing to worry as there is no power in the line,” Modi said.
“This is the acceptance of your new friend. Do I need touch the wires any more? Akhileshji, now people have spread such a current that will give shocks to SP, BSP and Congress on March 11,” he said.
Much before the SP and Congress became allies for the State Assembly elections, Rahul had launched a khat sabha campaign where he would interact with village folk seated on cots. One such ‘khat sabha’ saw villagers run away with the cots after the meeting had ended.
Modi said people had run away with the cots as those belonged to them, and that they would now ensure the defeat of Congress.
Referring to the decline of the famous brassware industry in Mirzapur, Modi claimed it was “ruined” because of lack of electricity.
“Had there been adequate power supply and had the brassware industry been functional, the young would not have been forced to move out to Gujarat and Maharashtra for employment. Youths do not get jobs in UP also because of nepotism and casteism,” he said.
The Prime Minister also accused the SP government of corruption, claiming bribes had to paid for getting work done, from lodging a police complaint to securing jobs and pensions.
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