Samajwadi Party tells youth workers to give up smoking, drinking

Lucknow: With one year left for the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the ruling Samajwadi Party is desperately trying to refurbish its image. The party has asked its youth leaders and party workers to shun liquor, cigarettes and other such vices.

The newly-appointed chairman of the UP Liquor Prohibition Board (UPLPB) and also a senior SP leader, Kuldeep Ujjawal, has written to the leaders of the SP’s youth wing organisations, Lohia Vahini, Mulayam Singh Youth Brigade, Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha and Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha asking them to give up liquor and cigarettes and set an example for the youth.

According to Kuldeep Ujjawal, the initiative is designed to make the party leaders realise the adverse effects of smoking and liquor and also to give them the responsibility of encouraging youth to shun these vices.

The SP leader said that during the ongoing panchayat elections, he had seen minor boys being lured to work for candidates with promises of gutka, liquor and cigarettes.

He has suggested that SP office-bearers should hold regular meetings to discuss the issue and all SP leaders and workers should themselves give up consumption of these things.

“Giving up these habits should be made a part of the party’s programme. We can include it in our meetings and other awareness programmes. We have crores of workers and if they lead a clean life, it will help both the party and its members,” he pointed out.

He said that once the party leaders and workers gave up these vices, it would be easier for them to convince the people to give up smoking and drinking.

UP minister Rajendra Chaudhary ratified the initiative and said, “Our leaders, including party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, have always asked the young leaders to lead a simple life.”