BJP anti-poor, MGNREGA cards being deleted: Akhilesh

Lucknow, Dec 22 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday called the BJP "anti-poor" and alleged that names of workers under the MGNREGA scheme were being "deleted" in several states.

He attacked the BJP-led Centre over the MGNREGA issue, claiming that the government was shifting the additional financial burden onto states.

Yadav's remarks came a day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Bill, which replaces the MGNREGA and has a provision for 125 days of wage employment for rural workers.

"In BJP rule, hatred, inflation, unemployment and corruption are rising unabated, while everything else is shrinking, then how can MGNREGA survive? That's why MGNREGA cards are being deleted," he said.

The central government has washed its hands of the matter by shifting the additional burden of expenses onto the states, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in a statement. "The BJP is anti-poor," he claimed.

“The BJP government is showing a dream of a developed India, but the reality is that the gap between the rich and the poor is widening. Per capita income is increasing only in government statistics,” he said.

Yadav further alleged that corruption and loot had reached their peak during the BJP regime.

“From police stations to tehsils, no work gets done without bribes. Common people are distressed and harassed,” he said.

He also alleged black marketing of fertilisers. “On the ground, there is only chaos. The public is fully bearing the brunt of this reality,” Yadav said.

Referring to the farming sector, the SP chief alleged that notices of urea shortage had been put up at cooperative society warehouses in several places and incidents of altercations between farmers and procurement staff were being reported.

He also targeted the BJP over the healthcare system, claiming that children were falling prey to new illnesses.

“The health system has completely collapsed. Hospitals have neither medicines nor doctors. In winter, attendants are shivering, and no bonfires are arranged for the poor,” he added.

Yadav alleged that the BJP government was "addicted" to making false claims.

Taking a swipe at the “double engine” government in UP, Yadav said both engines were colliding with each other. “No one had imagined that the Delhi-Lucknow tussle would reach this level.” PTI ABN ABN KVK KVK