LUCKNOW: Strategically raking up the issues of 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots and subsequent migration of majority community from the area, CM Yogi Adityanath launched a scathing attack on previous SP dispensation during his public meeting in bypoll-bound Kairana Lok Sabah constituency on Tuesday.
While addressing a rally in Saharanpur district, the CM slammed his predecessor and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, claiming that he could not wash his hands of the blood of innocents who died in the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.
He said that the people of Kairana, who witnessed mass migration by the majority community then, would seek answers from the opposition candidate Tabassum Hassan, the SP leader who is contesting on RLD ticket against Miganka Singh of the BJP.
“Samajwadi Party is renting out its leaders to contest from other parties but SP chief will not come here to face people as his hands are stained with the blood of those who were killed in the Muzaffarnagar riots,” said the CM adding that now there was a migration of criminals from the area as they were being chased by the government. “Anyone who misbehaves with our daughters and businessmen will face the government,” he asserted.
“We don’t work for any one particular community instead take everyone along with us,” he added. The polls for Kairana Lok Sabha seat and Noorpur Assembly Seat will be held on May 28 and the counting of votes will take place on May 31.
The Kairana Lok Sabha seat fell vacant after the death of sitting BJP MP Hukum Singh in February. Jats and Gujjars dominate the constituency. BJP leadership is hopeful of a sympathy vote by Gujjars, the community to which Hukum Singh belonged and now his daughter has been fielded by the party.
Meanwhile, Tabassum Hassan, mother of sitting Samajwadi Party MLA Nahid Hassan, who had defeated Mriganka in the 2017 UP Assembly Elections from Kairana, is the joint candidate of the opposition parties. The Noorpur Assembly seat in Bijnor district also fell vacant in February when sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh died in a car accident. BJP has given ticket to his widow Avni Singh.
Meanwhile, after turning out to be party’s star campaigner in assembly elections of five states, including Karnataka, CM Yogi Adityanath will be in Mahartshtra on Wednesday to campaign for by-elections in Palghar parliamentary constituency. This is the first time that Yogi will campaign in a by-election outside Uttar Pradesh.
Yogi will reach Palghar on Wednesday and would return and address two rallies in Kairana in Noorpur on Thursday. The tribal dominated Palghar parliamentary seat is also a case of prestige for the saffron party after Srinivas Wanga, the son of BJP MP, Chintaman Wanga, whose death necessitated the by-elections, switched over to the rival Shiv Sena. Srinivas is now pitted against BJP's Rajendra Gavit, a Congress turncoat.