UP Polls 2022: Amit Shah slams SP, says Muzaffarnagar riots' victims were made accused, put behind bars

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday slammed the Samajwadi Party (SP) for its alleged role in the Muzaffarnagar riots and claimed that those who were involved in the riots were victimized while the victims were framed and put behind bars just for the sake of appeasement.

Addressing voters in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, the senior BJP leader said, "Akhilesh was holding a press conference in Muzaffarnagar. The entire speech did not mention the Muzaffarnagar riots. I want to ask, in whose time did the riots take place? What was the role of the government in the riots? The rioters were made victims and those who were victims were made accused and put in jail, just for the sake of appeasement."

Continuing his verbal attack on the SP, the Home Minister said the previous government gave mini Chief Minister, a 'bahubali' and riot during its rule, on the other hand, the BJP government gave industry and medical colleges to each district.

"SP Government gave a mini CM, a bahubali, a scam and a riot to each district during its rule. That was the definition of development for SP. On the contrary, BJP Govt gave a product (One District, One Product scheme), a major industry and a medical college to each district," stated Shah.

Taking a dig at SP's alliance with Jayant Chaudhary's Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), Shah said that if SP forms the government in Uttar Pradesh, Azam Khan will be a part of the cabinet while RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary will be ousted from the government.

"Yesterday Akhilesh ji and Jayant ji held a press conference. They say that we are together. But how long is this together? If their government is formed, then Jayant ji will leave the government and Azam Khan will come back. The people of Uttar Pradesh have understood from the distribution of tickets what is going to happen next," Shah said.

Akhilesh Yadav-led SP has fielded Azam Khan, who is sitting MP from Rampur Lok Sabha seat, from Rampur constituency. At present, Azam Khan is languishing in jail after several cases were registered against him.

The Home Minister further said that not a single major riot has happened in Uttar Pradesh under the BJP government's tenure of five years.

"Mafia Raj is over in Uttar Pradesh today. People like Azam Khan and Mukhtar Asari are in jail today. The goons and mafia of Uttar Pradesh are either in jail or either fled away or appears to be in the list of Samajwadi Party candidates," said Shah.

The Home Minister further said that the BJP government has chased away criminals and mafias who flourished during the earlier regime of SP.

"SP opened 12 medical colleges, today 40 medical colleges have been established or are in the process of being built during the rule of BJP. You can just question us, you could not do anything. They accuse us of holding a press conference. How many medical colleges have you opened, how many engineering colleges have you opened? We have fulfilled 95 per cent of our promises, we are showing our resolution letter. There was 'gunda raj' in Uttar Pradesh. You do politics of appeasement. We have never done politics on the basis of casteism, religion and appeasement. We do politics of nationalism," said the Home Minister.

He further said that the work of Jewar airport, National Highway of Ganga and making Saharanpur a smart city, widening of Dalmandi Charthal roads and laying of sewer lines are finished.

"Our government is doing the work for constructing a path for Maa Shakumbhari Devi Temple, the work of Ganga Expressway and giving airport to Saharanpur is underway. The list of our works is very long, UP is now at number two in terms of development, give us one more chance and we will come to number one now," he said.

Shah further said that the maximum number of vaccinations took place in Uttar Pradesh.

"The maximum number of vaccinations took place in Uttar Pradesh but you misguided people about the vaccine. You see Modi in everything, you must be seeing Modi even in the vegetables in your house. Under our government's food schemes, work is being done to provide food to people. What did your government do? The food grains were sent directly to Nepal via Gorakhpur," said the Home Minister.

"I appeal to the voters here, I appeal to the voters of western Uttar Pradesh, vote for the respect and security of women, vote for the development of youth, vote for making Uttar Pradesh number one. It has reached number two, press the button on the lotus and make it number one," he added.

He urged the people of the state to trust, bless and encourage BJP and vote for party candidates. Amit Shah said that he has come to make Jagpal Singh, the party's candidate for Saharanpur, win. Notably, BJP has nominated a candidate from the Dalit community from the general seat.

"Today I have come here to appeal for our candidate Jagpal Singhji to win. This in itself is a unique thing in Uttar Pradesh that in a general seat, BJP has done the work of giving tickets to a candidate from the Dalit community. This tells us that in Uttar Pradesh, BJP has worked for realizing 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas' mantra of Narendra Modiji," he said.

"UP has always believed in BJP and has given us chance to form the government. Lotus has not bloomed in Saharanpur Dehat for 28 years. If BJP wins here, then there will be blossom everywhere," he added.

The Home Minister also informed that he cancelled his campaign in Deoband and Muzaffarnagar today due to a huge crowd that had gathered amid COVID-19.

(ANI)