Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 2 (ANI): BJP MLA Sidharth Nath Singh on Sunday accused Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav of “spreading lies” as the SP chief claimed that 26,000 government primary schools have been shut since CM Yogi Adityanath came to power in 2017.
Highlighting the tenure of Akhilesh Yadav during his time as CM, Singh said, “During your tenure, there were only 15 government medical colleges. Since then, 45 government medical colleges have been established, and the expansion continues. Not only that, look at the government degree colleges. There were very few during your tenure. In 2017, the foundation was laid for 51 government degree colleges, and today that number has increased to nearly 70.”
Singh said when the Samajwadi Party was in power, people in his area were reluctant to send their daughters to primary schools.
“Because of the prevailing atmosphere of fear. You seem to have forgotten the reign of terror created by Atiq Ahmed and his associates. Today, that atmosphere has ended, and people are confidently sending their daughters to school,” Sidharth Nath Singh said.
Minister of State for Basic Education of Uttar Pradesh Sandeep Singh also rejected the allegations made by the SP chief and said the state government was committed to improving education and securing the future of children.
“Let me reiterate that the allegations made by Akhilesh ji are completely baseless. The government has not been negligent in any way regarding education. We are deeply concerned about the future of our children, and we are continuously working to shape and secure their future,” he told ANI.
“I certainly understand the concern Akhilesh Yadav ji has regarding Jauhar University. However, we have consistently observed that whenever unethical conduct or illegal activities come to light, Akhilesh ji’s attention is immediately drawn to those very places. He seems to have forgotten that this is no longer the Samajwadi Party’s era of ‘Jungle Raj’–the lawlessness that characterised Uttar Pradesh before 2017,” Singh said.
“Uttar Pradesh has moved far beyond that phase. The reality is that ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the government in 2017 and Akhilesh ji suffered a decisive electoral defeat, he has remained politically inactive. He now attempts to mislead the public by making incorrect statements and presenting distorted facts,” he added.
The minister said the BJP government had taken several steps to strengthen the education sector.
“Our government has worked to give a new direction to education. We have moved forward with the initiative to establish a university in every division. The Bharatiya Janata Party government is continuously working to build a brighter future for children, particularly those from underprivileged families. We have taken several steps to improve the quality of education and strengthen their future. I urge Akhilesh Yadav not to mislead the public with misinformation,” Sandeep Singh said.
On Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav’s statement, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Swatantra Dev Singh said during Samajwadi Party’s regime, “only corruption and cheating prevailed in the field of education.”
“People used to come here from Punjab and everywhere to take exams. Today, the schools here are smart schools. If they want to see, they should look at the schools that were ruined during their rule… In their regime, there was nothing but cheating and hooliganism,” he said.
Also, Uttar Pradesh Minister Narendra Kumar Kashyap said during Akhilesh Yadav’s tenure, cheating was rampant openly, and jobs were sold.
“Akhilesh Yadav should recall that during his 5-year rule, there were 700 riots. There were clashes in the name of caste. He has no moral right to question Uttar Pradesh’s education policy. Anyway, in nearly 9.5 years of the Yogi government, 1 crore 60 lakh children are studying well in primary schools alone and working to advance themselves. There is no substance in Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations. The truth is that Akhilesh Yadav is scared of the government led by Yogi Adityanath. PDA has received education and employment only in the BJP government,” he said. (ANI)
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