BJP today targeted Samajwadi Party over the merger of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's Quami Ekta Dal with it, alleging it was a case of "appeasement and vote-bank politics" and the party was trying to win Uttar Pradesh polls "with the help of gangsters".
National secretary of BJP Shrikant Sharma alleged that SP wants to throw the state into "communal fire" as Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav knew that "his government has failed on all fronts and lost people's trust."
Addressing a press conference here, he dismissed Akhilesh's decision to sack his minister, Balram Yadav, for allegedly facilitating the merger, as an "eyewash".
"People had voted for Samajwadi Party to get the state rid of corruption and crime which was prevalent during the BSP rule. The Akhilesh government has failed on all fronts and 'goondaraj' is everywhere. It has become SP's practice to shelter criminals and seek their support.
"This merger is the height of vote-bank and appeasement politics. SP wants to win polls with the help of criminals, rioters and gangsters. It wants to throw the state into communal fire and orchestrate communal riots," Sharma alleged, adding, people will not let SP vitiate the atmosphere and will vote it out.
The merger was announced yesterday by senior Cabinet Minister and Akhilesh's uncle Shipal Yadav, with some party sources claiming that the Chief Minister was "unhappy" with the move.
Referring to the Mathura incident and Kairana episode, Sharma also alleged that criminals are "ruling the roost" in the state.
In Lucknow, BJP's Uttar Pradesh chief Keshav Prasad Maurya claimed, "The CM's displeasure over the merger of QED with SP is purely a drama of the Saifai family. If he is displeased with the merger then why his uncle Shivpal Yadav was not dismissed?"
Claiming that SP was already taking support of QED, Maurya alleged that the ruling party has failed to fulfil its promises made during 2012 Assembly elections.
"To hide the failures of the government, the party was indulging in displeasure of QED merger," he alleged, adding "Criminals are having patronage of SP as a result of which law and order has derailed in the state.
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Sharma also took a dig at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the FIR in the alleged tanker scam, and said he should resign and "present himself for the probe".
"He used to run campaign against corruption but it is now clear that it is in his nature to do corruption and protect the corrupt. He has been exposed on all fronts.
"Kejriwal would protest over every small issues and demand resignation of politicians. Why is he silent today? Why is he not following the same standards? Why is he not resigning? If only a little bit of shame and morality is left in him, he should resign and present himself for probe," Sharma said.
