The Samajwadi Party attacked the Yogi Adityanath government saying it has reduced itself into an “inquiry committee”. This comes as nearly half-a-dozen projects launched in Uttar Pradesh by former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav under the CBI scanner. With BJP government is about to complete a 100 day in office, a Samajwadi Party spokesperson said it was resorting to such tactics to “smokescreen its failures”.
“It smacks of politics of vendetta,” Samajwadi Party chief spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said. It reflects that the state government relies more on central investigating agencies, like the Central Bureau of Investigation than on its own machinery for carrying out any probe, he added.
Notably, since Yogi Adityanath government has been in authority, it has instructed CBI investigation on various projects which was initiated by the former Samajwadi Party government. These include alleged irregularities in the functioning of Shia and Sunni Waqf boards, Akhilesh Yadav’s dream project of Gomti riverfront development, mobile creche scheme, and also into the death of Karnataka-based Indian Administrative Service officer Anurag Tiwari in Lucknow last month.
“It seems the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has become an inquiry committee. It’s engaging in politics of vendetta, and more so to smokescreen its failures in delivering on the pre-poll promises,” Chowdhury said.
Among the projects under the scanner, the CBI has filed a police complaint or FIR into alleged irregularities into the Rs. 1,100-crore Sachal Palnagriha Yojana or mobile creche programme.
The scheme was launched by the previous government to provide creche facilities to children of women labourers working at construction sites. The scheme, meant to be run with non-governmental organisations or NGOs, sought to provide food, entertainment and educational facilities to children of six years and below. Police alleged officials of the Uttar Pradesh Social Welfare Board and the Building and Constructions Department conspired with NGOs to divert funds.
“The CM does not trust his own police when it comes to probing. The Adityanath government seems to rely more on CBI than on Uttar Pradesh police,” Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said
The Uttar Pradesh government is also contemplating to recommend a CBI probe into alleged irregularities in the Gomti Riverfront Development Project. “Just a couple of days back, a probe report was submitted to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. All necessary steps will be taken and appropriate action initiated for a CBI probe,” Minister of State for Urban Development Girish Kumar Yadav said.
Other projects of the previous Samajwadi Party government under the scanner include land acquisition for Agra-Lucknow expressway and Samajwadi pension scheme.
