Walk the talk

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav believes his state is lagging behind in no area except "publicity". Addressing a gathering in Lucknow last week, he said those who were ahead in publicity had been exposed and people would give only those who worked hard a second chance. In a veiled attack on the Centre and the earlier government in the state under Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, Yadav said his government was working for all sections of the society. "While we are constructing expressways, we are also constructing mandis around them so that the produce of farmers reaches the market," he explained. Criticising the Digital India initiative of the Narendra Modi government, Yadav said while the Samajwadi Party government had already distributed laptops to students, "others" were only "talking" about digitisation.