PM Modi hits back at Akhilesh's jibe; rakes up issues of rapes, abductions

He asked whether the Chief Minister would describe these as his 'work' or 'misdeeds'

Hitting back at Akhilesh Yadav for his 'kaam ki baat' jibe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said incidents of rape and abduction have gone up in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and asked whether the Chief Minister would describe it as his "work" or "misdeeds".

Addressing an election rally in Lakhimpur Kheri, sugarcane bowl of UP, he found faults in the Akhilesh-led Samajwadi Party (SP) government's functioning and raised the issue of non-payment of cane dues to farmers.

He said if BJP comes to power in the state, waiving off of loans of small farmers would be its first task and all cane dues of farmers would be cleared within 14 days.

Urging voters of the state to give Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a chance, Modi said if his party is voted to power, all anti-social elements would be behind bars within six months.

"Incidents of rape and murder (in UP) are on the rise and gangs are operating from inside the prisons.... Cases of abduction and riots have increased," the Prime Minister said and asked, "Akhileshji, is this your 'kaam (work) or karname (bad deeds)' which is speaking?"

His comment on law and order situation came as a 22-year-old woman, who had accused an MLA of ruling SP of rape in 2013, was found allegedly murdered.

Modi's attack on Akhilesh came a day after the Chief Minister took a swipe at him in the context of his 'Mann ki Baat' radio programme, saying "I want to ask him (PM) as to when will he do 'kaam ki baat' (talk something worthwhile)".

Modi, while speaking about initiatives of his government at the Centre, said, "He (Akhilesh) cannot see the work as he is blinded with absolute power."

In an appeal to the voters, the Prime Minister said, "Give us a chance. All those using 'katta, chaku and churi' (country-made pistol and knives) will be behind bars."

While targeting Akhilesh, he said the trend of the first phase of polling held on Saturday last showed that any extent of an alliance will not "wash off" his government's "sins", an apparent hint at SP's pre-poll tie-up with Congress.

Reminding Akhilesh that he had promised to probe scams that took place during the previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) regime, Modi asked, "Why did you shelve probe into scams during Mayawati's regime? What have you got for this?"

Hitting out at Akhilesh for the much-publicised Lucknow Metro project launched by his government, Modi said, "I am ready to go to Lucknow. I and Akhileshji should go and take a ticket of metro and travel by it."

He said while the station has been constructed, no train is running. "It's making a fool of people," the Prime Minister said, adding "the inauguration was done in a haste and despite central funds involved in it, no central minister were invited, even local MP was ignored."

He also picked holes in Akhilesh's other scheme of setting up Medanta Hospital in Lucknow and asked, "Is this your work, which speaks?"

Reacting to Modi's remarks on Lucknow Metro, Akhilesh said at a public meeting in Lucknow that, "Nowhere in the country, such a metro project has been launched in such a short time."

To Modi's comment on the lack of facilities in UP hospitals where Modi said there were no machines to check even blood pressure, Akhilesh said, "The blood pressure of BJP leaders has gone up after the first phase of polling. They need BP machines to check their blood pressure.