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Terming Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the "most cunning" party, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused it of trying to divide the country by talking about "love jihad".
"I have said this in the past, too, that there is no party more clever than BJP. I appeal to the people of Mainpuri to defeat it [BJP] this time," Yadav said during an election rally held here for the Lok Sabha by-elections.
Akhilesh said, "Those promising to bring 'achhe din' (good days) are now chanting love jihad... those talking about love jihad are cunning people and want to divide the country and society." In an apparent reference to BJP Member of Parliament (MP) Yogi Adityanath, Akhilesh said, "Babas are talking about love jihad. This same baba was once on his way to Jhansi to spoil the atmosphere, but state government arrested him. We want a debate with him and BJP about which road or bridge they want to build or what development work they want to do in Uttar Pradesh."
Charging the Narendra Modi government with not fulfilling its promises made at the time of elections, Yadav said they had made tall promises such as ending unemployment and inflation, but nothing happened.
"What direction the Central government is taking for the welfare of farmers and to deal with the power crisis is known to none," he said.
Blaming the Centre for the power crisis faced by the state, Yadav said the Central government has extended no help. "We have not got coal. We want to supply power, but they do not want to give coal. They are not increasing our quota of power. They are not even giving the power of our quota," he said.
Terming his Samajwadi Party as the "true well wisher" of the people, he said all promises made by it and "Netaji" (SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav) in the 2012 Assembly elections have been fulfilled.
