Battle for UP: Akhilesh finally says crime control his top agenda

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has finally sent out a strong and clear message that crime control will be the top agenda for the Samajwadi Party if it forms the government after the Assembly elections.

Akhilesh said that those who want to encourage crime and criminals should not vote for the SP.

Talking of 'poor law and order under the BJP regime', Akhilesh said those who don't want to follow the law or encourage crime and criminals, should not vote for Samajwadi Party."

"If anyone here does not want to follow law or encourage crime and criminals, those who want to break the law or want to go beyond the law, please do not vote for us," he said.

Akhilesh, while addressing election meetings on Sunday evening in Deoria, Kushinagar and Gorakhpur, said no one will be allowed to do anything that is insulting or disrespectful for any fellow human being.

Attacking the BJP leadership over its claims of addressing the concerns of the backward castes and deprived sections of the society, Akhilesh said if the BJP was concerned about OBCs and Dalits then the Centre should not have stonewalled the demand for caste census.

"They don't want to get the caste census done because the reality will come to the fore as to which section of the population they are catering more," he said giving an example of the Centre making provision to allow lateral entry in Civil Services cadres.

"Through this lateral entry they have appointed BJP workers as IAS officers but none belonging to the sections that we or you belong to or any of the minorities," he said.

"Now they are planning to bring a similar system to appoint party cadres as PCS officers in Uttar Pradesh," he said.