JOIN US'Some forces disrupt harmony'
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday dismissed allegations that the UP government was “partisan” towards some communities, and said while the administration was working for the welfare of people, some forces were trying to disrupt communal harmony in the state.
“Opposition parties have often accused us of being partisan and pursuing vote bank politics. It is blatantly false as our schemes, be it free laptops to students, the Kanya Vidya Dhan scheme, Berozgari Bhatta (unemployment doles), have all been made available to people belonging to all communities,” he said.
“It seems there are forces that are trying to disrupt communal harmony in the state,” Yadav said at a function here.
On the occasion, he distributed free laptops to boys and girls who have cleared their class 12 exams. “These forces will not be allowed to succeed and the SP government will continue with its initiatives to ensure all round development of the state.
In less than two years, we have achieved what the preceding Mayawati government could not during its full five-year term. This appears to be causing heartburn among all our political adversaries,” Yadav said.
“The state government is making all out efforts to bring rapid industrial development in UP, which is the most populous state of the country. Without the progress of UP, India cannot prosper. We are hopeful that investors will start thronging the state soon due to the favourable investment climate that has been brought about by our initiatives,” he said.
His visit was marred by protests by students, angry over the government’s alleged “betrayal” over caste based reservation at all stages in provincial civil services.
Several pro-reservation activists were arrested from the vicinity of the venue of the function, minutes before Akhilesh’s helicopter landed there.
The UP Public Service Commission had withdrawn its controversial reservation policy earlier this year following opposition from those against quotas and the state government’s claim that it was not taken into confidence.
After the chief minister left the venue to attend other functions in the city, a group of youngsters went on the rampage and vandalised chairs, claiming that they were not given laptops though they had got their names enrolled among the beneficiaries.
Police resorted to lathicharge to quell the crowd, and some students were injured.
According to official sources, 14,000 students were given free laptops at Sunday’s function. Among the recipients, 50 boys and girls were called to the podium to receive the laptop from the chief minister himself.
Nearly 70,000 students across the district will get free laptops by October 26.