Rajnath Singh retaliates to Akhilesh Yadav's 'no development' remark

Varanasi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday lambasted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav saying that he was leveling false allegation against the Centre to mislead people of the poll-bound state for electoral gains.

Addressing a press conference here, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said, "The Samajwadi Party president has been disputing the development claims of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his election rallies. He is doing so to mislead people of UP for political gains," adding, "The central government has worked really hard to bring transparency in the governance over the past two and a half years."

Earlier on Sunday, CM Akhilesh, addressing a press conference in Lucknow, had said, “Modi talks about taking the state on progressive path, but I have a question for him. UP government provided the Centre land for setting up of AIIMS in Gorakhpur. When will that hospital will be ready?”

Also Read: Akhilesh Yadav disputes PM Modi’s development claims

Defining the importance of federal structure, Rajnath said, "Federal structure plays an extremely important role in development of India. The Centre and the state government need to work in tandem to develop the state. Eighy per cent responsibility lies upon the state government, while the central governing body can only fund and provide other logistics to the state in this regard."

"Akhilesh Yadav should not forget that the BJP government at the Centre has raised the revenue sharing percentage with UP from 32 per cent to 42 per cent," he added.

What Rajnath Singh said about central government's developmental works?

• BJP government has electrified 1,464 villages of the country.
• We have disbursed loans worth Rs 20,000 crore at very low interest rate to small entrepreneurs for becoming job provider instead of being job seeker under the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA).
• The Centre gave insurance to over 1.12 crore poor people of the country.
• Have developed eight modern highways at a total cost of Rs 6,218 crore.
• Have distributed gas cylinders among poor families of the country under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
• Have opened over three crore Jan Dhan bank accounts in Uttar Pradesh itself.
• Have reduced the medicine prices for the poor a lot since taking charge at the Centre.

Also Read: Bua-Bhatija regimes left UP suffering; BJP will restore normalcy: Shah

Exuding confidence of forming majority government in UP, Rajnath Singh said, "The youths of the state have understood that only BJP can establish corruption-free rule in the state. We are the only political party which stands by its poll promises even after winning."

Taking a potshot at the opponents for describing him and PM Modi as outsiders in UP, he said, "I am a native of Varanasi that is why I know people of the holy city think big. SP, BSP and Congress have piled up a lot of mud in the state, and now only the 'lotus' of BJP can blossom here."