It's not a family affair: Mulayam pulls up Akhilesh govt for slow pace of work

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday pulled up his son’s government in Uttar Pradesh, saying that the Akhilesh Yadav government only spoke of ‘foundation laying’ and not inauguration of schemes.

Speaking at the inauguration of Akhilesh Yadav’s dream project –300 kilometre Lucknow-Agra Expressway – the party chief said that pace of work is very slow.

Pulling up his son’s government, Mulayam said, “There are a lot of schemes, but the pace of work is very slow. I am hearing about launch (foundation-laying) of schemes and not about their inauguration. I am not getting chance to inaugurate schemes,” Mulayam said.

This is not the first time that Mulayam has mocked his son’s style of governance. In the past too, he has publicily admonished the admonished the Akhilesh government for failing to live up to the expectations of the people.

Following the criticism, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh was seen whispering something into the ears of the top officials affiliated to the project, following which one of them during his address to the public said that the expressway would be completed in exactly two years.

SP chief Mulayam also took the opportunity to slam Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that the PM was aping his ideas of building toilets and adopting villages. “What Modi is claiming to do is nothing unique or new. In fact, he is simply trying to copy what I did in 1990 as UP CM. Building toilets, particularly for women, was my idea and so was the idea of developing villages with other urban amenities,” Mulayam pointed out.

“There is so much scope of development across the state and I have always been doing my bit. Now it is for the legislators and bureaucrats to take all that forward,” he said, adding, “Contrary to rumours, I do not meddle in the state government’s day-to-day affairs. But, as party president I do have the right to make suggestions for improvement.”

And then to peals of laughter, he quipped, “And now that the party has reelected me as president, you cannot even remove me.”

Describing it as the longest expressway in the country, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav explained how the six-lane road would reduce driving time between Lucknow and Agra to just four hours and thereby also bringing Delhi closer.  

While claiming that he would ensure the completion of the project well ahead of schedule, he disclosed how his government had already acquired more than 80 per cent of the land required for the expressway after paying undisputed compensation to more than 27,000 farmers.

Image: Samajwadi Party Supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav laying the foundation stone of Lucknow -Agra Expressway at CM's residence in Lucknow. Photograph: PTI photo