Lucknow: Slamming the BJP govts at Centre and in Uttar Pradesh for a steep rise in prices of sugar at a time when festivals are round the corner, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the increase in prices is deliberate and aimed at helping “big people” close to BJP.Addressing a news conference at party headquarters after felicitating party veteran poet and litterateur Uday Pratap Singh for his scholarly works, Akhilesh said: “Every time there is a price rise, it is aimed at helping big people close to the BJP. How else can the govt explain such steep rise in sugar prices when festivals are round the corner and there will be a huge increase in demand for sugar.”“Look at how the price of sugar has gone through the roof and that too at a time when festivals are around the corner and everyone will have to buy sweets and confectionery. Has anyone calculated how prices of your ‘gulab jamun’ will increase, and so will the prices of your ‘rasgulla’. Even the ‘barfi’ will cost you more,” Akhilesh said.The former UP CM said the rise in prices of cooking oil and other food items was regular and sharp. “In other words, the rate of inflation has been on the rise and prices of everything have shot up, including diesel and petrol,” Akhilesh said.“Imagine merely for the sake of profits, they are getting ethanol mixed with petrol and only for profits they have increased the prices of sugar. The question is in whose pocket will this money go?” Akhilesh said, adding that BJP was hand in glove with “big people” and BJP govts are working to benefit them.“Be it ethanol or sugar, every decision of the BJP govts at the Centre and here (UP) is aimed at helping big people close to the BJP. If ethanol improves mileage and does not have any impact on maintenance, then I demand that the (automobile) companies should release newspaper advertisements that ethanol will improve mileage and cut maintenance cost,” he said.Responding to a media query on Yogi Adityanath’s comment that in SP’s PDA – the ‘P’ stands for Pakistan, Akhilesh said: “Then how about BJP – Bhag Jao Pakistan.”He said BJP was changing the definition of PDA every now and then because they were afraid of the PDA. “For us, PDA also stands for ‘prem’ (love), ‘daya’ (compassion) and ‘apnapan’ (oneness),” he said, adding that SP would reach out to the people with this ‘apnapan’ and with this love, compassion and togetherness, everyone will vote BJP out of govt in 2027 polls.
