Akhilesh Yadav defends 'Saifai Mahotsav' extravaganza

Lucknow: A rattled Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today stoutly defended his party's annual cultural extravaganza after it earned the ire of the opposition and also mounted a shrill attack on the media.Hitting back at the media and critics of the ‘Saifai Mahotsav' which had some top Bollywood stars in attendance, Akhilesh said the budget for the festival held at his family's native village was around Rs six to seven crore and not Rs 300 crore as alleged.Slamming the campaign against the Mahotsav, he demanded an apology from the media for making exaggerated claims about the expenditure incurred for the event.The just-concluded festival of fun and frolic ran into controversy with the opposition asking how the ruling Samajwadi Party(SP) could go ahead when the victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots were living in difficult circumstances. “It's being said purposely that the budget for Saifai Mahotsav was Rs 300 crore... Those who are making such a claim should apologise or else give the details of the expenditure made for the festival,” Akhilesh said at a press conference here.“The person who has written such a story should be punished... We have a mela committee which keeps the expenditure details... And we should not be forced to launch a struggle,” he said.Condemning the Chief Minister for his remarks, the opposition said his tone and tenor against the media was dangerous for the democracy.“The tone and tenor in which Akhilesh attacked media is dangerous for the democracy', BJP state president Lakshmi Kant Bajpai told PTI.Talking about the participation of film stars in the Mahotsav, Akhilesh said, “They have come earlier too when SP was not in power... It's not right to humiliate them (the artistes) and ask how did they take part in the programme.” He lamented that though Bollywood superstar Salman Khan visited a hospital and offered help to children there it was not covered by the media.The Chief Minister, who apparently showed some discomfort taking questions from the media, said the aim of the mahotsav is to encourage the region's and state's culture. “It gives a platform to the young artistes , small traders and some farmers and some Rs. 6 or 7 crores are spent every year and it would be the same this time also,” he added.Akhilesh also cancelled plans to attend ‘Dedh Ishqiya' premiere with Madhuri Dixit after facing flak over “Saifai Mahotsav”.Akhilesh also said that the Mahotsav, organised every year by its organising committee, locals and youths, is aimed to encourage the state's culture.“It gives a platform to young artists, small traders and farmers and some Rs 6 or 7 crores are spent every year... And this time it was same,” he claimed.The chief minister also defended his government's grant of Rs one crore to Dedh Ishqiya and Bullet Raja saying that it was part of the state's programme to promote tourism.“It's also the policy of the government to encourage tourism,” he said.Defending foreign tour of 17 legislators including eight ministers, Akhilesh said it has been done in every government and the Centre's approval is a must for this. Meanwhile, condemning Akhilesh for defending the expenditure and presence of Bollywood stars at the Saifai Mahotsav, opposition parties today said that tone and tenor of the CM for media was dangerous for democracy. “The tone and tenor in which Akhilesh attacked the media is dangerous for the democracy,” BJP state president Lakshmi Kant Bajpai told PTI.“The Saifai Mahotsav was such a contrast to the people dying at the riots relief camps in Muzaffarnagar due to cold... It brought out the difference in Samajwadi Party's saying and doing. The Mahotsav, which started from rural culture, folk, kushti and kabaddi remained centred at performances of the dancers.. And the CM's statement that people are interested in this was against the Indian culture,” he alleged.He said that BJP was not against organising the Mahotsav but at a time when people at Muzaffarnagar riots relief camps, spending money on such an event was not justified. Congress leader and legislator Akhilesh Pratap Singh said it was unfortunate that the government, which was found nowhere when people at Muzaffarnagar camps were dying of cold, was present in full force at the Saifai Mahotsav. “This has hurt the people... Had the government fulfilled its responsibilities, these questions would not have arisen,” Singh said.