The Samajwadi Party (SP) has accused the BJP of 'misusing' government machinery for bringing crowds to the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Prayagraj on Tuesday and has written to the Election Commission (EC) to take note of the same and ensure a free and fair election in Uttar Pradesh.
SP state president Naresh Uttam said in his letter to the EC that hundreds of UP Roadways Transport Corporation buses were deployed to bring people to the rally from different parts of the state.
"The state government, with the help of the RTO, deployed hundreds of government and private buses to ferry the people to the venue of the prime minister's meeting at Prayagraj......the chief minister of the state has been misusing the government machinery and public money for the rallies of the prime minister," Uttam said in the letter.
He demanded that the EC give strict direction to the state government not to use public money and resources for campaigning.
According to multiple reports, thousands of women had been housed at inns and guest houses by the district administration in Prayagraj a day before the rally. Modi had addressed a meeting of the women at Prayagraj on Tuesday. The district administration claimed that more than two lakh women had taken part in the meeting.
Opposition parties had earlier taken strong exception to the use of government machinery for rallies of the prime minister in the state.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav had said that the crowds at Modi's rallies in the state had been brought from different places in the state using government resources. "I wonder if BJP has held any real public meeting so far," he had said.
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Published 22 December 2021, 09:45 IST