"Samajwadi Perfume Can't Dispel Corruption Smell": UP Deputy Chief Minister

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma today said the ''Samajwadi Perfume'' of Samajwadi Party (SP) was not enough to dispel the smell of "criminality" and "corruption" of the previous government.

"The smell of hatred, communalism, appeasement, criminality, corruption will not be removed from the previous governments by any fragrance," Mr Sharma said.

"Itra should be a symbol of cleanliness, transparency, good governance and responsibility," he said at the Circuit House here.

SP President Akhilesh Yadav launched a ''Samajwadi Perfume'' yesterday to symbolise the spirit of "socialism" of the party.

The BJP leader was in the city to attend a few events.

Talking about alliances being forged by the opposition parties in the run up to the coming election, Mr Sharma said they will still be defeated despite these pacts.

"The opposition parties had formed alliances with different permutations and combinations, yet they lost every time, whether it's the state assembly elections or the Parliament election," he said.

"And now they are getting ready to be defeated this time with smaller parties."

"BJP is a cadre-based party and we are not the party which perishes with time," he said.

Asked about Arvind Kejriwal's prospects in the 2022 state election, Mr Sharma said the opposition's motive is only to "defame Modi" and they will not be successful in their attempt.

Meanwhile, State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi also held a review meeting at the Circuit House with the department officials.

Speaking to reporters after the meet, he dismissed the idea of there being a shortage of fertilisers.

"We have enough fertilisers, and farmers should not have focused on the rumors. There is no shortage of DAP and NPK fertilisers for the farmers," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)