Akhilesh Yadav defends 'Saifai Mahotsav' extravaganza

“The tone and tenor in which Akhilesh attacked the media is dangerous for the democracy,” BJP state president Lakshmi Kant Bajpai told PTI.

“The Saifai Mahotsav was such a contrast to the people dying at the riots relief camps in Muzaffarnagar due to cold... It brought out the difference in Samajwadi Party's saying and doing. The Mahotsav, which started from rural culture, folk, kushti and kabaddi remained centred at performances of the dancers.. And the CM's statement that people are interested in this was against the Indian culture,” he alleged.

He said that BJP was not against organising the Mahotsav but at a time when people at Muzaffarnagar riots relief camps, spending money on such an event was not justified.

Congress leader and legislator Akhilesh Pratap Singh said it was unfortunate that the government, which was found nowhere when people at Muzaffarnagar camps were dying of cold, was present in full force at the Saifai Mahotsav.
 
“This has hurt the people... Had the government fulfilled its responsibilities, these questions would not have arisen,” Singh said.