Goons roamed freely in UP when Samajwadi Party was in power: Rajnath

Rajnath Singh said while the BJP has ensured good law and order as well as development in UP, goons used to roam freely and there were riots when the Samajwadi Party was in power.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said while the BJP has ensured good law and order as well as development in Uttar Pradesh, goons used to roam freely and there were riots when the Samajwadi Party was in power.

He also said that now goons and the mafia do not get protection, "but bulldozers are run over their illegal properties".

"I want to know why riots always happened during the SP's (Samajwadi Party) government. Why did goons and miscreants roam freely in their regime," Singh said while campaigning here for next month's assembly elections in the state.

Voting will be held in Kasaganj on February 20 in the third phase of the seven phase polls.

Highlighting the achievements of the BJP government in the state, Singh claimed that "not a single riot took place in the five years of the BJP government".

The previous government in the state was that of the SP, which was defeated by the BJP in the 2017 assembly polls.

Lauding the state government for the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, he said that "when the law and order situation is good, development also takes place rapidly".

"Today if Uttar Pradesh is witnessing development, then there is better law and order behind it. Now goons, mafia do not get protection, but bulldozers are run over their illegal properties," he added.

Singh attacked opposition SP, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress, saying those who get cut from their roots becomes like a kite with broken thread.

Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he assured voters that "we will do development and also save our heritage".

In his address, Singh sought support of voters and asked them to help the BJP in forming a majority government in the state.