Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav today hit back at critics and defended his government's Saifai Mahotsav saying the budget for the festival was around Rs six to seven crores but never Rs 300 crores as alleged by a section of the media.
Especially critical of a section of the media for running stories against the Mahotsav, the Chief Minister claimed that the daily, which carried that the budget of the festival was Rs 300 crores, had called for an apology.
"It's being said purposely that the budget for Saifai Mahotsav was Rs 300 crores... Those who are making such a claim should apologise or else give the details of the expenditure made for the festival," Akhilesh said at a press conference here.
"The person who has written such a story should be punished... We have a mela committee which keeps the expenditure details... And we should not be forced to launch a struggle," he warned.
