The Samajwadi Party on Saturday said that its alliance with the Congress, forged before upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, was not temporary and was forged with an eye on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and beyond.
“It is essential for opposition parties to criticise ruling party’s policies. Coalition is a compulsion in politics. Our alliance with the Congress is not just for UP and will last beyond 2019,” SP MP Naresh Agarwal said at India TV’s Chunav Manch Conclave in Lucknow today.
Agarwal faced some tough questions from his Rajya Sabha colleague from BJP Bhupender Yadav on the issues of law and order and alleged exodus of Hindus in Western Uttar Pradesh.
“People in many parts of Western Uttar Pradesh are leaving their homes. This is happening at places where Hindus are in minority. The government is responsible if injustice is being done to people,” BJP MP Bhupender Yadav Targeting the Samajwadi Party, Yadav said criminal elements were being protected by the ruling party.
Defending the state government, Naresh Agarwal said there was no exodus in the region and people were leaving their homes for different reasons.
On Bhupender’s charges that most riots take place in UP, Agarwal alleged that the BJP was responsible for many of the riots that took place under the Akhilesh Yadav government.
Alleging mass irregularities in recruitment, BJP said that Allahabad High Court had to remove the UPPSC Chairman who was facing charges of corruption.
Tearing into the Akhilesh government, Bhupender said that even police officers are not safe in the state and cited several incidents in support of his claim.
