Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday hit out at the Opposition for "making an issue out of a non-issue" on the hijab row in Karnataka and said that they come up with an agenda before the elections that soon gets evaporated after the elections.
Speaking to the reporters here, Thakur said, "Some people use different methods during polls to disturb the environment and make an issue out of a non-issue. There is a rule of wearing uniform in schools and colleges. Where there is a rule, it should be in place."
"Since 2014, opposition parties especially Congress comes up with some or the other agenda before elections and that gets evaporated after the elections. Be it the Rafale row, CAA, Shaheen Bagh, all these issues were raised before the elections and cooled down after the polls. The people of UP are sane and will not believe them," Thakur added confiding that the BJP would register a comfortable win in the UP Assembly polls that kickstarted today.
The Union Minister emphasised that the party is contesting on all the seats with strength and believed that the people will lay their trust in the leadership.
"The BJP is contesting on all the seats with strength. The people of UP voted for PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath in 20104, 2017 and 2019. We have made the state the second-largest economy in the country, freed the state from hooliganism and mafia and provided safety to women. The people will once again trust the leadership and vote them to power," he said.
The voting in Kairana today assures BJP's victory. In the next phases covering Kairana to Kashi, west to east, this wave will get stronger. Under the leadership of Modi Ji & Yogi Ji, BJP will win more than 300 seats & return to power
The first phase of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections concluded today with a voter turnout till 5 pm of 57.79 per cent.
In the Noida Assembly seat, Samajwadi Party's Sunil Chaudhary contested against Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's son Pankaj Singh. Congress leader Pankhuri Pathak and BSP leader Kriparam Sharma were also in the fray from the same seat.
The police had sealed the borders of the state and strict vigilance is underway to maintain peace in 58 constituencies where elections are underway.
The second phase of polling for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly is scheduled for February 14. 586 candidates are in the fray for 55 Assembly Constituencies in the second phase, including nine reserved for the Scheduled Castes. The reserved seats include that of Saharanpur, Bijnor, Amroha (JP Nagar), Moradabad, Bareilly, Rampur, Sambhal (Bhim Nagar), Budaun and Shahjahanpur district.
Post the completion of the seven phased elections, the counting of votes will take place on March 10.
( With inputs from ANI )
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