Mulayam, Akhilesh backed terrorists, says Mahendra Nath Pandey

By Santosh Kumar Pathak

Ghazipur/Varanasi, Feb 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Mahendra Nath Pandey has launched a scathing attack on Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, saying that the previous SP governments gave open support to terrorists.

In an exclusive interview to IANS, Pandey, Lok Sabha MP from Chandauli, spoke on various issues, including the ongoing Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the electoral battle in Purvanchal (eastern UP) as well as political claims made by Akhilesh Yadav.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Q. At the start of the UP election campaign, the BJP cornered Akhilesh Yadav on improved law and order situation. But later suddenly raised terrorism as a major issue. Why?

A. Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav's governments openly supported terrorists, so it is our duty to raise this issue before the people. It is a fact that several leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress openly shielded terrorists.

Of the 38 accused persons sentenced to death in the 2008 Ahmedabad blast case, six belong to Azamgarh and out of them two have direct links with the Samajwadi Party. The previous SP governments led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav lifted the ban on a terror organisation like the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and withdrew terror cases against its activists. What does this indicate?

Q. How do you see SP posing a challenge to the BJP in areas where elections are due, especially in Purvanchal?

A. After becoming MP from Azamgarh, Akhilesh Yadav has visited his constituency only twice. He has not even spent money from his MPLAD fund. He considers Azamgarh like a princely state. Both Akhilesh Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav played partisan politics with the development of Purvanchal.

The BJP has built the Purvanchal Expressway and has undertaken many development projects here. In 2017 Assembly elections, the BJP won only one seat in Azamgarh but this time it is going to win four to five seats here.

Q. If you claim to win four to five seats in Azamgarh, then what is your analysis for the entire state?

A. The BJP will form a strong and decisive government again in Uttar Pradesh by winning more than 300 seats and is going to provide the benefits of the double-engine government (that is, BJP government in the state and at the Centre) to the people of the state.

Q. But Akhilesh Yadav has claimed that the SP has already won more than 100 seats in the first two phases of the state election?

A. Akhilesh Yadav can say anything... who can stop him from making such claims. He might score a century by both bowling and batting, but after the election results on March 10, he will know the reality.

Q. In 2014 and 2017 you used to say that people of all parties are joining the BJP, but this time that is not the case.

A. You are talking about two leaders quitting the BJP but you must keep in mind that many more have joined the party. Former Congress leaders R.P.N. Singh, Jitin Prasada have recently joined the BJP. They joined my party quitting the SP, BSP and the Congress to serve the country and felt that they can work together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda, Yogi Adityanath and the BJP for the betterment of the society. This has further strengthened the party.

Q. Be it former cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya, Om Prakash Rajbhar or other former BJP leaders who have left the party, all of them are claiming to make a dent to the BJP?

A. Those who have left the party have only harmed themselves. BJP gave a ticket to Swami Prasad Maurya's son twice even though he lost elections but what happened to him in the Samajwadi Party? He kept pleading to the Samajwadi Party for a ticket to his son but was refused.

He even had to choose another Assembly seat, which clearly shows his plight. As far as Om Prakash Rajbhar is concerned, he is going to lose both the seats by a big margin. His son is going to lose the deposit this time. The community which he claims to belong to is standing firm with the BJP.

Q. Despite being a tall leader from the Brahmin community, allegations are that the Brahmin community is upset with the BJP.

A. Look, the Brahmin community is not angry with the BJP. The opposition parties are raising such issues deliberately to counter the popularity of the BJP, so this allegation has fallen flat.

Till the fourth phase of elections, brahmins have voted unanimously for the BJP and also encouraged others to vote for the party. They are happy with the work done by Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Q. The last few phases are a big test for the BJP in your area (Purvanchal). What are your expections?

A. In eastern UP, BJP had performed exceptionally well in 2017 and the NDA alliance will perform even better this time because my party has fulfilled the promises it had made.

Cultural, social and developmental works which have far-reaching effects, whether it is the construction of a grand temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, Vishwanath Dham Corridor and Maa Vindhayavasini Corridor, all these development projects benefit thousands of devotees across the country and the world. But especially in Purvanchal, it is the centre of religious, spiritual as well as economic development. The people of Purvanchal are very excited about this development and people here will vote in favour of BJP in large numbers.

Q. But what about rebel candidates in eastern UP?

A. The BJP is a party of workers. The sitting BJP MLA from Mughalsarai is a respected party worker and the candidate who got the ticket is also our party worker. Everyone is working together in the campaign, the talks of rebellion are now over and the party will win with a big margin of votes.

Q. What is a Varanasi model and why is BJP so confident about it?

A. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has dedicated his life for the progress of the society. The development happens by taking along all the people of the society. This model has been presented by the Modi-Shah duo but the caste-based and dynastic parties are not able to come to terms with this reality. Even today opposition parties are not able to rise above caste lines, muscle power and family-ruled politics.

Q. But despite the Varanasi development model, BJP is raking up the Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura issue?

A. It is our duty to tell our achievements to the people. The opposition must tell what work they had done when they were in power? The opposition has supported and encouraged dreaded gangsters such as Mukhtar Ansari, Atiq Ahmed, corrupt leaders like Azam Khan and organised Saifai party functions.

Source: IANS