Akhilesh asks Modi to get UP statistics right

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of “spreading misinformation” about the state and asked him to “look at statistics” before making statements.

“Those who say that Uttar Pradesh has lagged behind in development, should see the statistics before saying so,” Akhilesh said, while speaking at a function here. At a rally in Gorakhpur on Thursday, Modi had said that Uttar Pradesh had been “ruined” by the Samajwadi Party.

“Such people do not know about Uttar Pradesh. They should know that Uttar Pradesh tops in production of milk and wheat,” the chief minister said. He also alleged that many gas-based power plants in Gujarat had closed and asked Modi to focus on his state.

Modi had claimed that Gujarat had taken rapid strides toward development while Uttar Pradesh lagged behind. “Mulayam lacks capabilities to turn Uttar Pradesh into Gujarat. It requires efficiency and guts,” he had said.

On Modi’s criticism on shortage of power in the state, Akhilesh said that it was the legacy of the previous BSP government. “We are trying to augment power production,” he added.