Bhubaneswar, March 26: Ajay Kumar Lallu, Odisha Congress in-charge, strongly criticized Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday, accusing him of focusing solely on Hindu-Muslim issues and failing to address pressing concerns in his state.
Talking to press in Bhubaneswar, Lallu said, “Yogi Adityanath’s agenda seems to revolve solely around the Hindu-Muslim issue. After eight years in power, he should show at least one significant development project in Uttar Pradesh.” Lallu, who is a former Member of the UP Assembly, added that the state has been plagued by crime, particularly against women, citing NCRB data which ranked UP as number one in crimes, including dacoity and loot. He also highlighted the rising unemployment in the state, pointing to ongoing protests by primary school teachers who have been demonstrating for over 700 days without any response from the government.
Lallu attacked by accusing Adityanath of using his position to target Congress leaders while avoiding discussions about his own party's failures. “Why does he never address critical issues like education, employment, or safety? Instead of attacking Congress, he should focus on his own party's record,” Lallu said. He also mentioned Odisha’s challenges, pointing out the increasing number of women and young girls disappearing and questioning why the UP CM had no comment on such issues in BJP-ruled states.
Lallu's remarks came in response to comments made by Adityanath earlier, in which the UP CM stated that if Hindus are safe, Muslims are also safe in Uttar Pradesh. Adityanath emphasized the tolerant nature of Hindus, claiming that a Muslim family would feel safe in a community of 100 Hindu families. However, he questioned whether 50 Hindu families would feel safe among 100 Muslim families, referencing Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan as examples. He further argued that since the BJP came to power in 2017, communal riots in the state had stopped, making both Hindus and Muslims safer.
While asserting that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh were now the safest they had ever been, Adityanath also praised Sanatan Dharma as the world’s oldest religion and noted that Hindu rulers had never used force to establish dominance over others. (With ANI Input)
