Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 26 : Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday hit out at the Centre, flagging issues of poverty and poor water quality across the country.
Akhilesh Yadav unfurled the national flag on the occasion of the 77th Republic Day in Lucknow.
Addressing a press conference, Akhilesh Yadav urged citizens to follow the path laid down by the Constitution.
The Samajwadi Party chief said, "Mahatma Gandhi devoted his life to getting independence for the country. On Republic Day, take a resolution to follow the path shown by our Constitution. We will work to strengthen the nation by taking the path of the Constitution, given to us by Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar. We need to see where our country stands after so many years of independence. Our country is still facing numerous challenges, including poverty and unemployment."
Further, Akhilesh alleged that hospitals are not providing proper treatment to the poor.
He said, "Today, when I was reading the newspaper, there was an advertisement stating what our water contains. The water of 70 of the country's rivers is polluted, containing mercury, arsenic, uranium, and industrial waste in different places. This data is being provided by a private company that wants you to buy their water purifier. A private company knows this, but the government doesn't."
"There are atrocities against the PDA (Pichde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak or Backward class, Dalit, minorities). Hospitals here are not providing treatment. Yesterday, I received a call saying that a doctor was refusing to release a patient because the payment hadn't been made. When we pleaded with the doctor, he gave a small discount, and with some financial assistance from us, the patient was finally released," the SP chief added.
This comes in the backdrop of the demise of about 18 people due to contaminated water in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. Even on January 24, a total of 22 people were detected with symptoms of jaundice in Mhow town of Indore district, officials said.
Republic Day, observed annually on January 26, marks the day India adopted its Constitution in 1950, officially becoming a sovereign, socialist, secular, and democratic republic. The day holds immense historical significance as it represents the culmination of India's long struggle for independence and the establishment of constitutional governance based on justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.