UP CM calls Modi’s cleanliness drive ‘tokenism’

Unnao: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav who is among ‘navratna’ (nine gems) of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the cleanliness drive on Thursday said that he is not interested to take the task further as he does not believe in ‘tokenism’ but real issues.
“We do not believe in pomp and show like our Prime Minister therefore we will not go out for brooming like him,” Yadav said.He was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of trans-Ganga Industrial Township.
Modi had nominated Yadav, vice-chancellor of Chitrakoot Handicapped University Swami Ram Bhadracharya, Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari, writer Manu Sharma, cricketers Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina, Padma Shri Devi Prasad Dwivedi, television actor and comedian Raju Shrivastava and singer Kailash Kher on October 2 to take the task forward.
He further attacked the BJP saying they were inventing ploys to create communal rift in society. “Now see, it has come up with a fresh ploy in Agra. All they want is to divide the people of the nation. But the samajwadi government will foil such moves,” he said.
Yadav said that his government had instructed the district authorities to deal such elements with an iron hand.
“Strict action will be initiated against those responsible for creating disturbances. The local administration is identifying those involved in the act and taking action against them,” Yadav said.
He lashed out at BJP and mockingly said, “Now they have even started staking claim on the Taj Mahal which all you people know is a national heritage.”
Afraid of SP's good work, BJP is raking up such issues to divert people's attention from its election promises.
“Our party is working hard to fullfil all the promises mentioned in our manifesto during the last assembly elections. The ‘trans-Ganga Industrial Township' on 1,270 acres would be developed on international standards. The project will be developed in a way that it will create job opportunities for 1 lakh people,” he said.
“We are working to end power crisis across the state. Soon, the villages will get 16 hours while cities 22 hours of power supply. Our rival party does not even know that in which direction it could work to end power woes, rather it is only expert in making false promises to people to garner votes,” he said.
On the Badaun incident, Akhilesh said, “See how they had launched a false propaganda to defame the government nationally and internationally in Badaun. Though, the reality has now come before the nation that it was only a ploy by BJP to defame the SP government, but none till date had apologized.”