Modi govt monetising religious places as tourist spots: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday attacked the BJP over the launch of the world's longest river cruise, MV Ganga Vilas, and the inauguration of a Tent City, saying that the Modi government's sole motive is to earn money by converting religious places into a tourist spot.

Yadav also alleged the BJP of wasting money on such programmes when it should have been used to clean the river Ganga under the Ganga Action plan.

"People visit Varanasi in the last phase of their lives or for spirituality and get knowledge. BJP is making this arrangement (there) for earning money by promoting tourism. What are the nishads (there) who used to steer boats getting out of it. Will only the big industrialists and other traders get facilities," Yadav said while speaking to reporters.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the cruise, and inaugurate a 'Tent City' on the banks of the Ganga river in Varanasi on January 13 via video conferencing.

MV Ganga Vilas will begin its journey from Varanasi and sail around 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh, traversing across 27 river systems in the two countries.

Modi will also inaugurate a 'Tent City' on the banks of the Ganga river.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Yadav questioned the BJP about the real motive behind the cruise and the Tent City.

"Now will the BJP take away the jobs of the sailors as well? BJP's policy of earning money by making religious places tourist places is condemnable. People from all over the world come to experience the spiritual splendour of Kashi, not for luxury. BJP will no longer be able to cover the darkness of real issues with external glare," he said in the tweet.

Yadav also referred to the cleaning of river Ganga under the Ganga Action plan' and said that it is seen that the efforts made so far have not been able to clean 'Maa Ganga'.

"Thousands of crores of rupees have been cleaned but not Maa Ganga," Yadav said.

At Global Investors Meet being organised by the Uttar Pradesh government in February, Yadav asked what happened on the ground to the MOUs signed earlier and what incentives are being given to bring more investments.

He termed the summit as nothing but preparation for the next elections to betray the people of the state.