New Delhi, Jan 31 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched an attack at the Samajwadi Party (SP) saying their ‘Samajwad’ or socialism is fake, and blamed them for supporting criminals when they were in power. The Prime Minister, in a virtual address to voters in Western Uttar Pradesh, slammed the SP for supporting criminals, and said people of Uttar Pradesh will vote the BJP back to power as they don’t want the return of criminals. “The situation in Uttar Pradesh five years back was such that criminals ruled the state, and mafia was flourishing under government protection. Western UP can never forget, when it was burning in the flames of riots, the then (SP) govt was celebrating,” Modi said as he addressed voters in the poll bound state. This was PM Modi’s first rally since polls were announced in five states, held virtually amid restrictions enforced by Election Commission of India in view of ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. PM Modi talked in details about the poor law and order situation in the state under the Samajwadi Party government. “Forcefully occupying the property of poor and downtrodden people had become the symbol of ‘Samajwad’ (socialism),” he said. The Prime Minister said criminals want a favourable government in the state. “We are working for UP, they are waiting to get their revenge… The candidates selected and the statements they are making says it all,” PM Modi said. “Voters of UP are cautious of these people who have ‘rioter’s mentality’. People don’t want the old days back, they have decided to make BJP victorious with more votes than last time,” he said. He also mentioned the law against triple talaq. “It has benefited lakhs of Muslim women… Our government which believes sons and daughters are equal, is also bringing a law to make marriageable age of women 21 years,” he said. In the agriculture rich Western UP, the prime minister said the union government has increased procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP), and given farmers their due payments for sugarcane. “Farmers of western UP will never forget how their payments were delayed and given in instalments,” he said. Modi also appealed to the youth and first time voters, and said they did not want return of criminals in UP. “They understand UP should not be in the hands of ‘gundas’,” he said. The elections in Uttar Pradesh will take place in seven phases, on February 10, 14 , 20, 23, 27, March 3 and 7. Seats in western Uttar Pradesh go to polls in first two phases of the election
