SP Government's Maya-bashing continues in UP

The Akhilesh Yadav-led SP Government,  which has been apparently pursuing a ‘politics of vendetta’ against the policies chalked out by the previous BSP administration, has decided to restore the original name of the six districts which were rechristened by the  erstwhile Mayawati Government.

A decision regarding this was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on Monday. The new districts were created by former Chief Minister Mayawati and named after the Dalit icons.

The districts whose original names were restored include Panchsheelnagar     (now Hapur) Prabudhnagar (now Shamli) Jyotiba Phule Nagar (now Amroha), Mahamaya Nagar (now Hathras), Bhimnagar (now Bahjoi),  Kanshiram Nagar (now Kasganj) and Ramabainagar (now Kanpur Dehat).

However, Akhilesh refused to oblige Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s request for  restoring Amethi, earlier rechristened Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj nagar, — represented by the Congress scion in Parliament. Instead, it has been named as Gauriganj.

Besides, the Chief Minister restored the name of Lucknow’s King George Medical University which had earlier been renamed as Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University.

Meanwhile, Mayawati, who strongly condemned the alleged ‘politics of vendetta’ pursued by Akhilesh, said the decision to restore the original names of the districts showed the ruling party’s  anti-Dalit and anti-OBC mindset. “The Bahujan Samaj would give a befitting reply at an appropriate time,” she was quoted as saying in a news release issued by the party.

And Leader of Opposition and BSP member Swami Prasad Maurya also flayed the Akhilesh  Government for resorting to politics of vendetta. “By doing such acts, Akhilesh Yadav was trying to bury his failures on all fronts,” he said.

Through his actions, Akhilesh is trying to convey a subtle message to the Dalits  that the state government is not concerned about their welfare since they voted against the SP candidates in the Assembly polls.