Akhilesh questions BJP over distribution of bags with his picture in Gujarat

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday quizzed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government in Gujarat asking how bags with his picture were distributed in that state.

Taking to the micro-blogging website Twitter, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said, "How bags of Uttar Pradesh are being distributed in Gujarat. The photograph is being hidden with sticker but Samajwadi work and colour is visible."

https://twitter.com/yadavakhilesh/status/874660166947426304

It may be mentioned that around 12,000 school bags with stickers of Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh's picture were distributed to largely tribal children in Chhota Udepur in central Gujarat.

The state government immediately announced an inquiry into the gaffe.

Akhilesh picture was hidden behind stickers pasted on it, with a logo of 'Jilla Shikshan Shakha' (District Education Department), Chhota Udepur, 2017-18.

Every year, the government distributes educational kits, including school bags, as part of its 'Shala Pravesh Utsav' initiative to promote enrollment of students from socially and economically disadvantaged background in schools.

Some teachers at a school in Vasedi village later found that on peeling off the stickers with logos on the bags, stickers of a smiling Akhilesh with slogan 'Khhoob Padho, Khoob Badho' were revealed.

The Akhilesh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh had sanctioned over 1.8 crore school bags for distribution to schoolchildren last year. However, many of these bags could not be distributed as the Model Code of Conduct came into effect with the announcement of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

Though his successor Yogi Adityanath continued with the distribution of school bags with stickers of Akhilesh, some of these bags somehow reached Gujarat.

- With IANS Inputs