'Half income, double inflation': Akhilesh Yadav slams UP govt

Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will be held in seven phases starting February 10

In an open letter addressed to the public, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over a range of issues, terming the current phase as "half income, double inflation", adding that the present government has only brought "difficulties and troubles".

"Apart from the poor and oppressed, the skilled and unskilled workers, unemployed youths, people who have been sacked from their job due to the dire state of the economy, businessmen, industrialists and farmers have also been suffering due to the current phase of "half income, double inflation". Actually, since the present government came into power, it has only brought difficulties and troubles," reads the letter written in Hindi by the SP chief.

Uttar Pradesh former chief minister posted the letter on Twitter on the occasion of Republic Day on Wednesday.

Yadav urged people to pledge on Republic Day to "save the constitution which led to the formation of this great republic."

"To bring the positive change, let's move forward with the positive, progressive and practical politics that does not favour only a sect of people but takes everyone together," Yadav said.

"This government has divided society into two parts. On one hand, there are people who are continuously getting richer and on the other hand, there are people who are continuously getting poorer. Even among the wealthy, only a few persons are cornering wealth. The middle class is getting crushed in the middle. Their savings and interest on which their future depends are also not safe in banks," he added.

Reiterating the promise made by Samajwadi Party during the ongoing election campaigning for upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav urged the people to elect his government and help them in making a "new UP".

"We take a pledge to fulfill promises like 300 units of free electricity per household, free irrigation, MSP for all crops, guaranteed payment to sugarcane farmers within 15 days, interest-free loans, insurance, pension, Samajwadi pension of Rs 18,000 per year, laptop distribution to talented youths, 22 lakh new jobs in IT sector, filling up lakhs of vacant government jobs, restoring the pension scheme and caste census," the letter read.

Meanwhile, elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.