Meerut: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav met the family members of those who died due to electrocution during Kanwar Yatra.
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was on a visit to Rali Chauhan village where he awarded Rs two lakh in compensation to the families of those who lost their lives and 50 thousand to the injured.
"In this hour of great sorrow, I have got a chance to come among you. We socialists have come to join you in this sad hour, pay tribute to those who are no more today. Real sorrow is experienced by those who have lost something...We will provide two lakh to the families of those who lost their lives and 50 thousand to the injured," the SP chief said.
Attacking the Yogi Adityanath government, Akhilesh said that the govenment showers flower petals on those undergoing Kanwar yatras but do not come to the aid of those who lose their lives in the Kanwar yatra owing to poor security from the authorities. "It is the responsiblity of the government to help those who have lost their lives. They conduct meeting on how to provide security during Kanwar Yatra..they prepare seperate budgets...shower flowers on Yatris," Akhilesh charged.
The SP chief also added that the government should provide compensation to the victims and their families.
"I will tell the government today and during the Assembly session that the people who have lost their lives, the government should give them Rs one crore and also give a government job to any one of the families. If they do not do this, I promise that when the Samajwadi Party will come to power we will take care of it," Akhilesh said. Responding to the BJP's taunt on the opposition alliance being named I.N.D.I.A. Akhilesh Yadav said, "Every common man wants India to win, we all support India. If people are with India, the opposition is with India, why is BJP complaining?"
"Did we complain when you said Skill India? When you betrayed us saying Make in India? How you have asked for votes from people in the name of India," Akhilesh said in an attack at the BJP.
Speaking about PDA, the acronym for "pichre" (meaning backward), dalit and "alpashankhak" (meaning minority), he had referred to earlier ahead of the opposition unity talks, Akhilesh said that the PDA will make I.N.D.I.A. win in the upcoming elections.
"PDA will make I.N.D.I.A. win, if you have complaint against this, give us justice," he said.
On PDA, he said, "Rabindranath Tagore had once said that this country does not have a political problem but a social one. If we can solve these problems our country will move forward."
Six Kanwariyas died due to electrocution a few weeks back after the vehicle they were travelling in came in contact with an electric wire in the Rali Chauhan village under the Bhavanpur police station limits in Meerut, according to the police. "...during Kanwar Yatra, a DJ vehicle came in contact with an electric wire, in which 6 people died and 6 are undergoing treatment. Efforts are being made to provide financial assistance to their families," said Kamlesh Bahadur, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Bhavanpur had said.
—ANI