BJP govt handing over livelihood of boatment to powerful individuals: Akhilesh

Lucknow, Sep 13 (PTI) Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused the ruling BJP government of doing injustice to the state's boatmen by handing over their traditional livelihood to powerful individuals.

Yadav's remarks came after a delegation from the Navik Mazdoor Kalyan Samiti from Prayagraj met him at the SP headquarters and submitted a memorandum, seeking his help towards getting the auctions for fishing in the rivers cancelled.

In their memorandum, the boatmen stated that fishing in rivers is their "birthright" and that a 2019 government order, which allows for the auctioning of different river sections for fishing, is entirely wrong, a statement issued by the SP stated.

Addressing the delegation, Yadav said, "The concern of our boatmen brothers also centres on the protection of the environment, and the consequences of neglecting it have been evident in the disasters that have struck Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh." He added that the boatmen "are fighting for the respect of their rights, but they are being treated unfairly and their traditional business is being handed over to influential strongmen." Yadav also made several promises, stating that if the Samajwadi Party forms the government, it will conduct a caste census to ensure proportional rights and respect for all.

He asserted that the boatmen are part of his "PDA" (Pichda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) alliance, which he claimed will form a Samajwadi government in the 2027 assembly elections.

He also promised that the party's 2027 manifesto would include a pledge to provide new boats to boatmen and that a statue of Nishad Raj Guhya with a golden oar would be installed on the Gomti Riverfront. PTI CDN HIG AMJ AMJ