Kanpur: Criticising state govt over inflation, unemployment, roads and policing, Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday questioned the claims of GDP growth, saying that the impact of development should be visible on the ground.Yadav was in Bidhuna, Auraiya to pay tributes to the late SP leader Gaurav Raghuvanshi at his home.Akhilesh said that GDP was based on calculations and estimates, including forecasts of future growth, but employment, inflation and everyday facilities reflected the true picture for ordinary people.He said jobs remained scarce, inflation was high and petrol and diesel were expensive. If no major change was visible at ground level, questions over rising GDP claims were natural, he said, adding: “Could it be 0 GDP somewhere?” He said the system appeared to be functioning as before, without major change on the ground.Referring to action against a mosque in Saharanpur, Yadav said society could become strong only when people respected other religions. He said a true Sanatani, saint or Hindu could neither insult another religion nor hurt anyone’s sentiments.Invoking Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi also conveyed abroad that the whole earth was one family. People of all religions and communities should therefore coexist and respect each other’s sentiments, he said.
