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Schools shutting, liquor shops coming up in state: Akhilesh

Schools shutting, liquor shops coming up in state: Akhilesh

Time of India03-07-2025
Varanasi:
Samajwadi Party
president
Akhilesh Yadav
took a jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led govt in Uttar Pradesh saying the state was opening of new liquor shops in large numbers, while schools were being closed.
Addressing party workers after inaugurating his new home-cum-office built on a campus of over 3 bigha area in the Anwarganj area of Azamgarh district on Thursday, Akhilesh criticised
BJP
govt for "poor state of education and basic facilities". He said BJP was shutting down booths in assembly areas where they lost in the 2022 assembly election. "It is shocking how thousands of schools are being closed while liquor stores are being opened without restraint," he said.
Akhilesh added, "Water tanks built in villages under Jal Jeevan Mission are unable to bear burden of corruption, leading to incidents of tank bursts in various districts every month." He compared the Purvanchal Expressway with the Gorakhpur Link Expressway and termed the six-lane roads built during his regime as superior. He also accused BJP of double standards in reservation and secularism.
To ensure his party got voted to power in 2027, Akhilesh set goal for party leaders and cadres to secure all seats from Ghaziabad to Sonbhadra for PDA.
Akhilesh said if voted to power in UP in 2027, he would ensure every family received 300 units free electricity, iPads and Samajwadi pension of Rs 3,000 for women.
He also assured termination of Central govt's Agniveer scheme and strengthening of border security. The meeting was not free of drama by over-enthused SP supporters. One worker jumped into the 'D' security circle in front of the main dais and when he did not leave despite repeated requests from senior leaders, party volunteers and police ousted him.
Responding to call of a Brahmin organisation and Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha, many Brahmin families installed black flags at their homes to express their anger against the alleged anti-Brahmin statement of Akhilesh following the Etawah incident.
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