Driven by greed, Akhilesh did not spare even holy rivers: BJP

Lucknow, Jan 24 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday lashed out at former UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for alleged corruption in the Gomti riverfront project rolled out during his tenure, hours after raids by Enforcement Directorate at many places involving the multi-crore project.BJP state spokesman Shalabh Mani Tripathi said it was a "shame that Akhilesh Yadav did not spare even a holy river for his greed". "The raids by the ED have made it clear that not only did the former chief minister preside over a corrupt government, but he also patronised graft", said Tripathi.The action by law enforcement agencies against those involved in the scam have rattled the Samajwadi Party (SP), said the ruling party spokesman. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's leadership, the guilty and corrupt will not be spared," he said."The riverfront scam has not only brought bad name to Uttar Pradesh but has also shown the blatant disregard for nature and environment of the SP government as they plundered the state coffers," Tripathi said.The ED on Thursday conducted multiple searches across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Haryana in connection with the Rs 1,500-crore project that was touted as the dream project of Akhilesh Yadav. The ED had lodged a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in March 2018 after the CBI lodged an FIR based on a probe ordered by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
--IANS md/prs