UP govt with three-and-a-half CMs has failed to deliver: Amit Shah

Barabanki: Attacking the ruling Samajwadi Party, BJP President Amit Shah on Monday said the state government with "three-and-a-half chief ministers" has "failed" to maintain law and order and also referred to Kairana, claiming such incidents were happening across Uttar Pradesh.

Shah also took a swipe at the SP on row over merger with gangster-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari's party, saying it was just "shadow boxing between uncle and nephew" and the party was "full of Mukhtars and Ateeqs".

He accused the Akhilesh Yadav government of being unwilling to extend benefits of central schemes to the poor and Dalits. "Whatever best efforts Prime Minister Narendra Modi makes to ameliorate the status of poor and Dalits, it will not translate into action as the state government is not willing to do so," said Shah at a booth level workers' meet here.

"I want to ask Akhileshji where has the additional Rs 2 lakh crore gone which was sanctioned by Modiji. I want to tell you why the money did not reach you (people). Every state has one chief minister, but in UP there are three-and-a-half Chief Ministers if you take into account his father and uncles besides Mohd Azam Khan," he said.

He was referring to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's father and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, his uncle Shivpal Yadav and state minister Azam Khan. "Recently the CM's uncle (Shivpal) merged Mukhtar's party with SP. People are aware of such theatrics of shadow fighting between uncle and nephew. You say you will not take Mukhtar Ansari into party fold, then what will you do about Ateeq Ahmed? SP is full of Mukhtars and Ateeqs," said Shah.

Shah alleged that the SP had "failed miserably" in maintaining law and order in the state and Kairana issue is one example of the same. "The UP government has redefined law and order as 'lo and order karo' (take bribe and issue order)," he said.

"This (alleged exodus) is not taking place only in Kairana but in the entire state. The issue is related to law and order. Will (US President Barack) Obama handle law and order here," he said, noting that law and order was a state subject.

BJP MP Hukum Singh had alleged that several Hindu families have been forced to leave Kairana, though the claim was contested by the UP Government which denied any communal angle.

Shah said unless the present state government is ousted, development of Uttar Pradesh would remain a distant dream.

On the chief minister's charge that BJP was trying to make Mathura incident into a poll issue, Shah said, "If you have any shame left, then please don't show your face."

"Government land was encroached upon for two years under the patronage of a senior cabinet minister and two police officers were killed while removing the encroachment," he alleged.

The BJP president said when the government cannot save its police, then how can it protect the public. "You say that we are making it (Mathura) an issue. BJP workers will launch a struggle against any encroachment. Other governments give land to poor, but this government snatches their land. Mathura incident is shameful," he said, adding it has now become a key electoral issue.

Recalling BJP's resounding success in 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Shah exhorted the party workers to "repeat the success".

"What you did in 2014 has to be repeated in 2017 also. Only BJP can liberate the state from the morass caused by SP and BSP," he said.