Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday attacked the Samajwadi Party, alleging it strove to withdraw cases against "terrorists" when it was in power in the state and also disrespected Lord Ram.
"During its tenure, the Samajwadi Party exhibited a keen interest in withdrawing cases against terrorists. They sought to withdraw cases against individuals implicated in attacks on significant sites, including the CRPF camp in Rampur, Ayodhya, Sankatmochan Temple in Kashi (Varanasi), Lucknow and Varanasi court," Mr Adityanath said in a statement.
"The Hon'ble High Court even rebuked the party, saying that their next step could possibly be conferring the Padma Award on terrorists," the statement added.
He made the remarks addressing a rally in Mallawan, Hardoi, where he sought votes for BJP candidate and sitting MP Ashok Rawat.
Mr Adityanath claimed that the trend from the first two phases so far indicates the BJP will cross 400 seats and re-elect Narendra Modi as the prime minister.
He claimed that during his tenure Hardoi district had received significant investments, and got a new district and a medical college.
"Under PM Modi's leadership, there has been a remarkable acceleration in infrastructure development, exemplified by the construction of double the number of highways built before 1947 and a corresponding increase in the number of airports," he said.
The CM cited the provision of free ration to 80 crore people as a testament to the government's commitment towards the poor's welfare.
He claimed that Hardoi and Sitapur have progressed a lot with the construction of houses and toilets and there is more to come in the next five years if voters elect his party.
"The recent construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, achieved through the collaborative efforts of the 'double-engine government', symbolises this progress," Mr Adityanath, originally a priest, said.
He criticised the previous parties, Congress, SP, and BSP, for the neglect of the poor under their rule and alleged that they caused several hunger-related deaths due to their inattention to developing basic healthcare facilities.
Mr Adityanath accused them of inciting communal tensions for electoral gains and proposing divisive policies, such as allocating a portion of reservation quotas to Muslims.
This is unacceptable and disrespectful to the legacy of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, he asserted.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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