AAP contesting UP municipal polls for "entertainment," jibes BJP's Radha Mohan Singh

Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 27 : Former union minister and BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh took a jibe at Aam Aadmi Party's plan to contest upcoming municipal elections in Uttar Pradesh said AAP is contesting elections for entertainment purposes only.

"Arvind Kejriwal's party earlier contested assembly elections and now contesting municipal elections for entertainment only. The public is smart and won't waste their vote," said the minister.

Radha Mohan Singh has reached Moradabad in regard to civic body polls and held a meeting with the workers. Praising the BJP candidate contesting for polls, Singh said, "Vinod and the whole of his family are involved in social works and people are showing full support, I hope BJP will be winning the mayor's seat as well."

Earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath came down heavily on the previous governments for the "mafia raj" in the state.

Addressing public meetings in three districts on the day, CM Adityanath talked up the benefits of the "double-engine government" in the state before the people.

Amid the continuing backlash from the Opposition over the prevailing law and order situation in the wake of the killing of jailed politician-turned-gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in Prayagraj, the CM said there was not a single instance of riot or curfew in the state on his watch and all was well with UP.

Tearing into the erstwhile "mafia raj" in the state, the CM said there is no one left now to shed tears for hardened criminals. "The mafia raj in Uttar Pradesh is now consigned to history," CM Adityanath said, urging the public to vote for a "triple-engine government" to give more thrust to the state's development.

He added that the same would happen only if the people resolve to help the BJP take control of the state's municipal bodies. The CM kicked off the wave of rallies from Maharaj Singh Degree College ground on Janta Road in Saharanpur.

"Today, there is no curfew and no riots in UP. Everything is fine," the CM said, adding that extortions and abductions for ransom no longer take place in the state and UP had ceased to be a "family's personal fief". "Mafias and criminals have become a thing of the past in UP," the CM added.

"The UP of today stands as a symbol of security, prosperity and employment," Adityanath said, adding, "Our state is no longer known for curfews but for the Kanwar Yatra. Our identity is not violence but to set aside our differences and celebrate all festivals together. This is not a land of the mafia but of festivals. Now it is up to us to decide whether there should be terror in our cities or should we make them safe. Do we want to see pistols in the hands of our youth or tablets?"

He added that there was a time when mafias and gangsters would threaten people but now all such elements have vshed and there is no one to shed tears for them. "I don't know where the extortionists have gone. Those who imposed curfews during their rule would come asking for votes from you. Do not pay attention to them," the CM said.

The first phase of polling will be held on May 4 for municipal corporation seats including among others PM Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home constituency Gorakhpur.