BJP ally in UP fumes at Yogi Adityanath, may snap ties

Lucknow: Trouble for the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh seems to be growing by the day. After dalit BJP MPs accused the chief minister of alleged discrimination, an ally of the ruling party — Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) — has threatened to snap ties with the BJP over Mr Adityanath’s indifference to its demands and alleged corruption in his government.

The SBSP led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, a minister in the Yogi government, on Sunday said that the final decision on ending the alliance with the BJP will be taken after his proposed meeting with BJP president Amit Shah in Lucknow on April 10.

The SBSP has four MLAs in the 403-member state Assembly. Mr Rajbhar has been an uncomfortable ally for the state government since he is known to make controversial statements at regular intervals.

Mr Rajbhar, who has been accusing the chief minister of ignoring his demands, had met Mr Shah in Delhi on the eve of Rajya Sabha elections on March 23 and the latter had given him an assurance that his grievances will be addressed. However, despite Mr Shah’s assurance two of the four SBSP MLAs cross voted in the Rajya Sabha elections.

“The chief minister has been ignoring the coalition dharma. I will have detailed discussions with BJP president Amit Shah on various issues when he visits Lucknow on April 10 and then decide the course of action,” he told reporters.

Mr Rajbhar said that his party had kept all its options open. “I will not be cowed down by any pressure,” he said.

He said, “Corruption is rampant in this government as officials are doing whatever they like while the 324 MLAs of the ruling alliance are facing the ire of the people. The BJP MLAs may be ‘nalayak’ (incompetent) but we are not going to tolerate this kind of working by the government.”

The minister, who had boycotted an event to mark the first anniversary of the Yogi government, said that the situation of the BJP government is “very bad”.

He also raised the issue of Dalit atrocities and said that the government has failed to address their problems.

Citing the recent appointments made in the state secondary education board, he said, “The BJP’s slogan of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikaas’ is not being implemented in letter and spirit as relatives of senior BJP leaders from upper castes have been appointed… When I speak on the issue, people feel bad.”

Mr Rajbhar said, “On the ground, a large number of people are still deprived of ration cards, housing and benefits of other government schemes, but some officials are showing all these works as complete in records.”

He cited complaints of dalit MPs, including Savitri Bai Phule, Chhotelal Kharwar, Ashok Dohre and Yeshwant Singh, who had written letters to the Prime Minister complaining of discrimination against dalits. “If all is well here then why are these people going to Delhi to complain?” he asked.

BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi , however, tried to downplay the minister’s outburst and said, “The BJP is completely following the coalition dharma in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Rajbhar is simply playing a political stunt to grab headlines. He is raising questions on the bureaucracy but not on the leadership which is honest.”

He said that the shortcomings highlighted by the minister will be addressed and corrective action taken.