Officials Belonging To Backward Communities Being Removed From Poll-Related Duties: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday alleged that officials belonging to the backward, Dalit and minority communities were being selectively removed from poll-related duties in Uttar Pradesh, and said his party would prepare a list of such cases and complain to the Election Commission.

Addressing a press conference here, Yadav alleged that officials belonging to the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) communities were being "searched out" and removed from posts such as Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) and other positions connected with poll-related and administrative work.

"We will prepare a list and release it. We will also complain to the Election Commission. They are searching out and ensuring that not even a single officer from the PDA communities remains to oversee elections, conduct election-related proceedings or handle administrative work," he alleged.

"Those who become AROs and look after election-related work - if you find even one person from the PDA community there, tell us," the SP chief said.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also questioned the absence of details about Booth Level Officers (BLOs) whom the Chief Election Commissioner had met during his visit to the state, as well as engineers involved in calibration and inspection of EVMs.

"I had told you that the Chief Election Commissioner had come. Where is the list of the BLOs whom he met? Where is the list of those with whom he held discussions? And the engineers who are coming for calibration and to inspect EVM machines -- where is their list?" he asked.

"Neither you have the list, nor do we have it, nor do the political parties have it," Yadav said. "The day the election date is announced, the BJP will lose because their film has flopped even before its release," Yadav said.

Asked whether his government would undertake better work for gaushalas (cow shelters), Yadav said, "We have been serving cows for centuries. Our people have been serving them for generations." He said the government would have to make arrangements for the future management, maintenance and food for cattle.

On a proposed financial assistance scheme for women, Yadav said the SP would double the amount to Rs 2 lakh if it formed the government.

He said the SP had earlier decided to provide Rs 40,000 under the scheme, while the BJP was talking about Rs 50,000 and had subsequently raised its proposed amount to Rs 1 lakh.

He added that the SP would formulate a Rs 2 lakh programme for women under the same scheme and according to the same rules, laws and banking mechanism through which loans were provided.

The SP chief also referred to the party's "PDA audit report", alleging that irregularities had taken place in appointments to around 11,000 posts.

"Not even a single page of the audit report has been answered (by the BJP government)," he alleged.

He alleged that the leaks were being deliberately allowed to promote outsourcing and avoid creating regular government jobs.

He further alleged that outsourcing companies were being used to facilitate corruption and claimed that workers were being given shorter contracts.

Yadav also alleged that statues of B R Ambedkar were being damaged in different parts of Uttar Pradesh, claiming that his party had documented 151 such cases.

The attacks were deliberate and the hands of Ambedkar statues were often targeted because they hold a copy of the Constitution, he charged while accusing the BJP government of undermining constitutional values and alleged that courts had repeatedly made observations against the government.

Yadav also criticised the state of healthcare in Uttar Pradesh, saying, "The hospitals themselves are sick." Referring to an ongoing investigation in Codeine syrup diversion cases, he said questions remained over the quality and authenticity of medicines and claimed that several cases involving fake medicines had been detected in the state.

He alleged that BJP-linked people were involved in such activities, though he did not provide evidence for the claim.

Asked about demands for dividing Uttar Pradesh, Yadav opposed the idea and warned against what he described as attempts to divide the country and the state.

"Those who are talking about dividing the country are also talking about dividing the state. Tomorrow they may want to divide the country. The country is very big. We all have to work together to make our country stronger," he said.

He also alleged that "underground, unregistered people" were associated with those opposing devotees and claimed some may have misappropriated donations.

On the question of future political alliances, Yadav said the alliance arrangement that the SP had earlier entered into would continue.

"The alliance that the Samajwadi Party had earlier will remain," he said.

Asked about the SP's newly prepared 'rath' for PDA yatra, Yadav said, "The rath had only gone to get diesel filled. You (BJP) have become worried already. You have brought it into the discussion already." The SP plans to take out a PDA rath yatra ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.