Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for linking the bicycle, the SP election symbol, to terror activities, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said Monday that the BJP doesn’t seem to know that the bicycle is used by the poor, labourers and youth of the country.
“Janata mein inke khilaf 440 volt ka current chal raha hai. Isliye jinki janata ne khadhi kar di khatiya, unke bayan aa rahe hain ghatiya. Woh de rahe bayaan ghatiya, jinki ho gayi khatiya khadi. Batao ab cycle ke oopar aa gaye. Yeh gareebo ki cycle hai ki nahi hai? Humare mazdooron ki cycle hai ki nahi hai? Humare naujavano ki cycle hai ki nahi hai? Yeh BJP ke log jaante nahi hain yeh baat (People are angry with the BJP and want to give it a 440-volt shock. This is why those facing the ire of people are making cheap statements. Now, they have come to the bicycle. Isn’t this the cycle of the poor? Don’t our labourers have cycles? Don’t our youth have cycles? The BJP people don’t know this),” Akhilesh said at an election rally in Amethi.
AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, addressing a rally in Lucknow, too targeted Modi over his bicycle remark: “Yesterday, I heard the Prime Minister came and said all those who ride cycles in the country are terrorists. This is a ‘chhot‘ (attack) on all the poor who ride bicycles. The Prime Minister is calling all the poor ‘terrorists’,” he said.
On Sunday, Modi accused the Opposition of being soft on terror and singled out the SP, linking its election symbol, the bicycle, to those used to plant some of the bombs in the Ahmedabad blasts of 2008.
Akhilesh also campaigned for his party’s candidates in Sultanpur and Rae Bareli. While Rae Bareli will vote in the fourth phase Wednesday, polling in Sultanpur and Amethi will happen in the fifth phase Sunday.
Akhilesh told the crowds: “This election is for your future. The youth has waited for jobs for five years. If five more years pass, think what will happen to you. Your future will be ruined. I appeal to the youth and farmers. This is an election for taking you to happiness from distress. Then, it is also an election for saving the Constitution and democracy. The BJP has destroyed UP and that is why UP must be saved. It is UP which can show the country the way.”
He also said that the BJP supporters and leaders have already removed the party’s flags because they can sense defeat. Talking a dig at UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said: “I have heard that Baba Bulldozer has sent his bulldozer for maintenance because he knows that the next government will be formed by Samajwadis. You must have heard speeches given by their leaders. If you hear them, you will see all of them are lying.”
“Bulldozer Baba is saying that I wake up at noon. You wouldn’t know, some might that Bulldozer Baba and I share a wall. He keeps an eye on me to check what time I wake up. When I got to know, I also started keeping an eye that side… I saw smoke rising at times,” he said.