Bareilly , Aazad Samaj Party national president and Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad on Wednesday targeted politics around religious issues in Uttar Pradesh, saying, “Religion is not under threat in the state; people are.”
He asked how pressure could build to improve government schools when the children of those who formulate policies study in private schools.
Addressing a rally here in support of party leader Achchan Ansari, Azad said education, employment, healthcare, security and dignity were among the issues confronting ordinary people and political discourse should focus on these basic concerns affecting the everyday lives of citizens. He targeted the state government over education, healthcare, employment and law and order, and said the common people’s concerns should take precedence over religious issues. On education, Azad said the condition of government schools would improve only when the children of government officials, ministers and those in power studied in these schools. On healthcare, Azad said access to health services was a right of every citizen, and it was the government’s responsibility to ensure that government hospitals had doctors, medicines, diagnostic facilities and other necessary services. On employment, he said if cities such as Noida, Gurugram and Mumbai could generate job opportunities, adequate industrial and employment opportunities could also be developed in Bareilly. Pointing to the recent movements by students and young people, Azad said the Bhim Army and the Aazad Samaj Party had continued to raise issues concerning education and the youth “from the streets to Parliament”.
