Lucknow, March 29 Top leaders of the Uttar Pradesh government said Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's rally in Dadri was a "flop show" that saw smaller-than-expected crowds, indicating that people are moving away from his "caste-based opportunistic politics".
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the SP's Noida rally was dominated by "rioters, land mafias, and criminals".
In a statement, he said the rally was a "complete flop". He said, "The fundamental character of the Samajwadi Party's politics is rooted in a divide and rule policy," he said.
Maurya said under Yadav as CM, UP was a state of utter chaos, law and order had collapsed, and industrialists had fled the state.
"If the SP comes to power, it will bring misery, it will usher in a regime of "goonda raj" (rule of thugs), and it will lead to land encroachments, and the business community will be exploited," he said.
Maurya also said that Akhilesh Yadav, driven by superstition, never visited Noida in the past. Now, on the very same soil, the double engine government has inaugurated the Noida International Airport.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the rally failed to draw a sizable crowd, which was a clear indication that the SP has now become "disconnected from the ground reality".
"The empty chairs at the public meeting signal that the public has moved away from caste-based and opportunistic politics and is now prioritizing development," he said.
Pathak too claimed that Yadav had for years kept his distance from Noida due to superstitions that CMs lose power when they visit the place. UP CM Yogi Adityanath and PM Narendra Modi have also taken similar jibes at the SP chief.
Attacking Yadav, BJP MLA from Dadri, Tejpal Nagar, said Yadav failed to deliver any concrete message to the Gurjar community at the rally. He alleged that the SP attempts to court specific communities only during elections, but its sole concern remains limited to the pursuit of political power.
SP leader Yadav on Sunday held a rally in Dadri in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, where he launched a scathing attack on the ruling party.
His rally came a day after the Noida airport in Jewar was inaugurated by Modi. Targeting the BJP, Yadav claimed that seven airports have been inaugurated, but six of them are not functional.
Yadav dismissed charges that he avoided Noida during his tenure and asserted that his government secured necessary clearances for the Jewar airport. Yadav also claimed that the BJP rally at the airport inauguration was attended by "paid supporters".
He also alleged at the Dadri rally that the Constitution was under threat. "Those who talked about winning 400 seats to change the Constitution have been defeated, but danger remains as long as the BJP is in power," he said.