Jaunpur: Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp criticism of the Centre on Tuesday, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using the Waqf Amendment Act as a smokescreen to conceal its governance failures. He argued that the bill was introduced to divert attention from the shortcomings of the BJP’s policies.
Addressing the media in Jaunpur, Yadav stated, “The Waqf Bill is nothing but a cover-up for the failures of the BJP. This law is an attempt to distract from their unsuccessful schemes. The Samajwadi Party did not even support it in the Lok Sabha.”
Yadav also predicted a significant defeat for the BJP in the future, stating, “In the coming times, the BJP will be defeated. They cannot withstand the unity of the opposition alliance (PDA).”
The SP leader further criticised the government’s handling of key public issues, claiming that the BJP had been avoiding accountability on matters like inflation and rising unemployment. They are silent on the issues of inflation and unemployment while petrol and diesel prices continue to soar. “Every decision seems to benefit a select few,” he added.
At the state level, Yadav took aim at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, mocking his claims about eradicating poverty. Our Chief Minister has no idea. He talks about zero poverty in three years, but the reality is far from that. “They speak of zero tolerance, yet the Supreme Court itself has pointed out the lack of law and order in Uttar Pradesh,” Yadav remarked.
In a separate development, the Supreme Court recently criticised the Uttar Pradesh Police for its controversial practice of converting civil disputes into criminal cases. A bench led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna called the practice “absurd” and “contrary to the guidelines” set by the court in earlier rulings.
The court clarified that issues such as failure to return money in a civil dispute should not be treated as criminal offences. What is happening in Uttar Pradesh is strange. A case of simply not returning money is not a criminal matter. “There’s no case here at all,” Chief Justice Khanna stated.
Expressing concern over the irregularities in the state’s law enforcement, the Chief Justice said, “I will instruct the investigating officer to stand in the witness box and provide evidence before proceeding. I will take action against the officer if necessary.”
Following this, the Supreme Court stayed the criminal trial proceedings against Surendra Singh Bhandari, who had challenged the charges of cheating in a money-related dispute initiated by the Uttar Pradesh Police.
