Akhilesh demands removal of UP DGP before elections

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said Uttar Pradesh DGP O.P. Singh should be removed before the elections begin.

The remark comes a day after two police sub-inspectors were suspended for looting a coal trader on the pretext of seizing black money.

"We demand that the UP DGP be removed from his post before elections. Police personnel themselves are getting involved in theft cases. If it's happening, then DGP is responsible too. If Mayawati ji has said that the DGP be removed, what she said is correct," he said at a press conference here.

Akhilesh further claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) "can do anything" to regain power at the Centre, with reference to the advisory issued by the Election Commission urging political parties to avoid using photographs of defence personnel on posters used during pre-poll campaigning.

"The Election Commission has not named any party, but the people know that if there is somebody who has thrown Army into politics, then it is the Bharatiya Janata Party. I have studied in a military school... The children of the poor are serving the nation in border areas. However, they (BJP) are looking for votes through them. People of BJP can do anything to come into power."

Taking a jibe at BJP leaders Sharad Tripathi and Rakesh Singh Baghel, who recently got into a brawl, Akhilesh said, "Under this government, police have themselves become thieves, and one public speaker is giving '21 jooton ki salami' to another public speaker. Don't know why this looks like a 'joote wali sarkar' to me."

During a meeting held recently, Tripathi and Baghel got into a heated argument over placement of names on the foundation stone of a project. The situation took a turn for the worse when the two leaders were seen thrashing each other with shoes.

Akhilesh also alleged that Prime Minister Modi was lying about mobile phones being manufactured in India.

"No mobile phone is being made in India. Mobile parts are being brought from China and assembled here. Prime Minister is lying on this," he said.