‘No cops being posted, will UP be left on its own’

Akhilesh was accompanied by the father of a Class XII girl student, who was hacked to death by a youth in Shamli on December 13 last year. He alleged that the family is not ready to return home as local BJP workers threatened them with dire consequences. Local leaders had forced the family not to get an FIR lodged, he claimed, adding that SP will write to the Governor, seeking security for the family.

On the hooch deaths in Barabanki, Akhilesh said: “Etah aur Kasganj me ek ghatna isi tarah ki hui thi… Aliganj (Etah) me jisme sabse jyada jaan gayi thi usme sharab ka karobari agar koi tha to wo BJP ka samarthak aur BJP ka karyakarta tha… Kahin aisa to nahi… Sarkar unki hai… Barabanki me unhi ka koi aadmi to nahi sharab logo ko pila raha hai? (Similar incidents had taken place at Etah and Kasganj. In Aliganj, where maximum number of people had died, the liquor trader was a BJP worker. It is their government… Could it be that someone from their camp is serving liquor to these people in Barabanki).” He also demanded that the government provides at least Rs 10 lakh as ex-gratia to each of the families of the deceased.

On whether SP will ally with Congress in Lok Sabha bypolls, Akhilesh said talks about any coalition will be held at the time of elections. On him and Congress president Rahul Gandhi being referred to as “UP ke do ladke”, he said: “Kab tak app humko ladke kahenge… kabhi Yogiji chief minister ko bhi ladka kah dijiye… naya saal aa gaya hai… ab unko ladka bol dijiye… agar nahi to (Gorakhpur) Mahotsav me… Mahotsav me koi bura bahi manega (How long will you call us boys… once you should also call the CM a boy… The new year has begun…call him a boy at the Mahotsav, where nobody will mind).”

On the Gorakhpur Mahotsav, Akhilesh said if it is being compared with SP’s Saifai Mahotsav, it should be better executed. On the recent protest by potato farmers, Akhilesh said: “Potato farmers and cold storage owners are ruined.”