Key BJP ally skips event to mark first year of Yogi govt

Playing spoilsport, alliance partner Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) today decided to skip the grand event held to celebrate the first anniversary of the Yogi Adityanath government in office and even took a pot-shot saying building temples in Mathura and Kashi will not solve any problem.

SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar even warned that if the BJP did not reach out to his party, his MLAs may skip voting in the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls.

"We made this government and it is our duty to repeatedly point out shortcomings...Holding celebrations is not going to serve the purpose...making temples in Mathura and Kashi will not give education to the poor, or toilets and pension to them," a visibly angry SBSP leader and UP cabinet minister Rajbhar told newspersons here.

Rajbhar also threatened that his party's four MLAs would boycott the coming Rajya Sabha elections incase "big brother" BJP does not redress its problems.

"If they do not talk to us. If (BJP chief) Amit Shah does not talk to us, our four MLAs will boycott the election and will not vote in the Rajya Sabha elections (on March 23)," Rajbhar said.

Refusing to take part in the celebrations on completion of one year in office, Rajbhar said, "Let them celebrate. I will not go to attend it till the question of ration cards, housing, education, medicine and others are not redressed".

Stressing that the BJP was ignoring smaller allies, Rajbhar said, "We kept begging for seats in the local body elections but we had to go it alone at the last moment...we were not taken into confidence in the (Lok Sabha) bye- elections. At no place in Purvanchal where BJP senior leaders went they took the name of SBSP or used our flag."