Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today said country would not be considered as developed if its villages and women remained backward, and all out efforts were required for the progress of both.
"The country cannot be considered as developed till its villages are not developed... Half of the population of the country consists of women and they are more backward than men... They will have to be brought in the forefront," Yadav said during a function at the ongoing Saifai festival.
"The girls have all my blessings... Educated girls help develop two families... We cannot progress till the backwardness of women is not removed," Yadav said.
Recalling his tenure as chief minister when he represented Badaun as an MLA, Yadav said he was accused of developing his constituency by the opposition and he had replied that as the chief minister's seat it needed to be developed.
Mulayam directed Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, who was present on the occasion, to work for providing better power, water and road facilities to the people and recalled that he had tried to set up a power plant in Ghaziabad to end the power woes of the state but was opposed by the opposition parties.
