Congress UP chief Rai slams BJP over arrest of SP leaders in fake currency smuggling racket

Lucknow:  Congress’ Uttar Pradesh unit President Ajay Rai on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the recent arrests of two Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders in connection with a fake currency smuggling racket.

The Kushinagar police on Tuesday apprehended 10 alleged smugglers, including Mohammad Rafiq Khan, the national Secretary of SP’s Lohia Vahini, and Naushad Khan, the state General Secretary of SP’s cultural cell.

Speaking to IANS, Ajay Rai accused the BJP of targeting political opponents by using allegations. “The BJP is working to arrest those who oppose them on various allegations,” Rai stated.

Among the confiscated items were counterfeit currency notes with a face value of over Rs 5.6 lakh, currency worth Rs 1.10 lakh, Nepalese notes worth Rs 3,000, 10 country-made pistols, four cotton bombs, two Nepalese SIM cards, and 26 fake documents.

The arrests have sparked a heated political debate, with the Samajwadi Party alleging that the two leaders were framed by the BJP and police in a bid to tarnish the party’s image.

Rai, mocking the BJP, said: “People associated with BJP are all ‘Doodh Ka Dhula’ (innocent). The son of a BJP leader was involved in the rape case of a minor girl in Ayodhya, yet no action has been taken against him.”

He also referred to a case in Varanasi, stating, “In Banaras, three individuals associated with the BJP IT cell raped a girl. They were granted bail and were welcomed with garlands.”

He added that the BJP’s primary agenda is to “crush those who oppose it.”

The UP Congress chief also responded to Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati’s recent post on X, where she criticised Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the US and accused the Congress of “double standards” and “anti-reservation” stance concerning the caste census issue.

Rai dismissed Mayawati’s criticism, asserting that the public, especially the marginalised, stands with Rahul Gandhi.

“Everyone, including the common man, the poor, the backward, the suppressed, and women, support Rahul Gandhi. On the other hand, Mayawati is just sitting in BJP’s lap and issuing statements like their spokesperson,” Rai claimed.

Commenting on the upcoming Uttar Pradesh by-elections, Rai said that the Congress’s preparations are in full swing.

With the INDIA bloc gaining significant ground against the BJP in UP during the Lok Sabha elections, 10 Assembly constituencies have fallen vacant and will go to bypolls.

“We will begin our campaign with the ‘Samvidhan Samman Sammelan’ on September 29 in Prayagraj’s Phulpur. The next day, we will hold a similar event in Mirzapur’s Majhwan. These programs will continue for the other vacant seats,” he said.

–IANS