Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav hit back at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, saying he was talking about 'tamancha' to divert people's attention as he has failed to provide basic facilities like education and health in Uttar Pradesh.
Yadav's reaction came after he was asked about Adityanath's statement at an election meeting in Unnao that those associated with a particular party would brandish 'tamancha' (country-made pistol) before 2017.
"The chief minister is not able to give education, so he is talking about 'tamancha'. As he is not not able to provide health facilities, he talks about 'tamancha'. Why are they talking like this? They are saying this because there is a saying in English that 'old habits die hard'," Yadav told reporters in Ghaziabad.
Yadav visited the home of SP's mayoral candidate Poonam Yadav in Ghaziabad.
Targeting the BJP, which has ruled most of the state's municipal bodies for a long time, the SP chief said, "The result of BJP's failure is that the cities are dirtiest."
"If you remove the work done by the 'samajwadis' (socialists), what will be left in Lucknow?" he asked.
"I remember it was in this city (Ghaziabad) that Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) had laid the foundation stone of the first Metro," Yadav said.
"But look at the cycle tracks now, they are ruined. What is the facility for labourers, who ride cycle," he said.
Addressing the election meeting in Unnao on Tuesday, Adityanath said criminals earlier would walk around with their heads held high but now they hang placards around their necks begging for their lives. He also said the youths now work on smartphones and tablets.
Voting for the urban local body polls will be held on May 4 and 11. The counting of votes will be held on May 13.
-With PTI Input
