Lucknow: Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the BJP of misleading people in the name of river cleaning and said it should take "tuition" from Socialists on how to clean rivers.
In a statement, he said the BJP had promised to clean rivers but failed to deliver on its commitment.
Large-scale corruption has taken place in the name of river rejuvenation, he alleged.
Referring to the Gomti riverfront project initiated during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Yadav said, "The work done by the Samajwadi Party government for cleaning rivers was halted by the BJP government. Even the Gomti riverfront project, a world-class example developed by our government, was not allowed to be completed. It showed how rivers across the state could be cleaned. The BJP made tall promises about cleaning the Ganga but failed to deliver even after 10 years in power."
He targeted the Centre's flagship Namami Gange programme, calling it a slogan that has "vanished" and claimed even the aquatic life in the Yamuna had become a casualty of the ruling party's rhetoric.
"The BJP has deceived people several times in the name of rivers. The Namami Gange slogan has vanished and now, in the name of Yamuna cleaning, even the flora and fauna are victims of the BJP's gimmicks," he said.
Yadav said, "If BJP leaders wish, they can take tuition from the Socialists on river cleaning. They can even organise guest lectures by Samajwadi Party leaders to learn from the Gomti riverfront project about cleanliness and beautification -- free of cost."
Rivers give life, they don't take it, he asserted.
"Will there only be politics over the Yamuna now or will funds meant for cleaning be siphoned off instead? Let's not forget that the Yamuna flows behind the Taj Mahal, a global tourist attraction. A polluted river tarnishes the government's image too," he added.
Citing a Wildlife Institute of India study, the Kannauj MP claimed chemical pollution in the Ganga was threatening several aquatic species.
"Thousands of crores allocated in the name of cleaning the Ganga have been looted," Yadav said.
"The BJP has failed to clean rivers but the public has now prepared a plan to clean the BJP itself. Once the BJP is removed, everything will get cleaned automatically," he added.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
