 "Akhilesh Yadav, SP chief, Samajwadi Party")
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said the "economic anarchy" which has affected all sections of society was likely to lead to a "third front" against the BJP ahead of the next Lok Sabha elections.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also spoke of his continuing friendship with the Congress and the "good rapport" with all opposition parties, including the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
"A kind of economic anarchy is prevailing in the country. The entire country is reeling under this chaos, be it the banks, farmers, businessmen, youths or salaried classes...., every section of the society is suffering and this will lead to the formation of a third front ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019," he said.
Yadav was speaking to members of the Mumbai Hindi Patrakar Sangh (Mumbai Hindi Journalists Association) here.
The BJP, he said, won the Gujarat election due to the GST factor but the truth was that a large section of the business community, not only in Gujarat but across the country, was angry.
People are yet to get their dues owing to the GST roll-out and demonetisation, he added.
Yadav, who addressed an SP rally here on Sunday, met party workers and leaders from the city and Maharashtra on Monday.
Elaborating on why he thinks there is economic anarchy, Yadav asked, "Why do you think the government is bailing out the banks? It means the banking system is not working smoothly. If the banking system is fine...if the monetary policy is fine, then why are banks facing a financial crunch?"
"Why, despite tall promises of loan waiver, are farmers becoming more and more debt-ridden and farmer suicides not stopping? Even the flow of foreign investment has dipped to its lowest level," the SP chief added.
Responding to questions on whether his party would be part of the third front and equations with the Congress, which seemed to be distancing itself from the SP following the Uttar Pradesh assembly election, he said the friendship was intact.
"Our friendship with the Congress is still intact. I have a very good rapport with every opposition party and leader. I have not spoken to 'Bua-ji' (as he often refers to BSP supremo Mayawati), but I am on good terms with her too," he said.
On the communal violence in Kasganj in Uttar Pradesh on Republic Day, the former chief minister said, "It's good that so many video tapes have surfaced and made it clear what triggered the unfortunate killing.
"Videos show that persons from one community are proceeding to celebrate Republic Day, carrying the tricolour in their hands while those from another community are holding saffron flags as well as the tricolour and are trying to stop them."
The BJP's allegation that the SP was vitiating the atmosphere of communal harmony in Uttar Pradesh was baseless, Yadav said.
"If we are doing that, they (the BJP government) should act against us. Why they are not doing that?"
The SP will soon take out a 'Yatra' passing through several states, Yadav said, without giving further details.
