The Samajwadi Party(SP)’s love for the cycle goes beyond using it as their election symbol. During its years in office the SP-led government had built numerous cycle tracks in various cities across the state and always marketed it as a flagship project along with the Agra Lucknow Expressway.
Following the tradition, recently, the party's chief and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, shared videos of the cycle track and the highway on Twitter with the caption 'Kam Bolta Hai' (work speaks). But while the videos was up-voted by some people, a few others targeted the SP chief for promoting the same projects again and again.
The cycle tracks were constructed along the streets in all major cities of Uttar Pradesh by the Samajwadi Party government. However, when BJP’s Yogi Adityanath came to power in the state in 2017, it decided to dismantle the tracks. The government complained that these cycle tracks were proving to be a big hurdle in the smooth flow of traffic.
UP’s finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, while talking about the cycle track project had said that the cycle track project was a waste of money as he never saw any cyclist riding down those tracks. As per news sources, the current government in UP has already demolished the cycle tracks in Bareilly.
Now, amidst the lockdown, when UP’s former CM Akhilesh Yadav spotted a video of some cyclists riding on the track and the road, he was quick to upload the video on Twitter with his favorite caption 'Kam Bolta Hai'. He also added a video of the cycle track in Noida. It seems like someone has shot the video while riding a cycle on the track.
After Yadav uploaded the video many of the users applauded the scheme and his party's work in UP. However, some of the users criticised the party for wasting the money in cycle tracks’ project.
Check out the reactions here:
UP has seen many debates over these cycle tracks' project. In 2017 when the Yogi government announced their intention to dismantle them, Akhilesh Yadav strongly objected to the decision.
He said that cycling is beneficial for health and added that on returning to power, his party’s government will encourage cycling and also extend cycle tracks in the state.
The leader had also tweeted about the issue.
Yadav did not stop at this and also promised that his government, after coming to power again, will also provide a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to any cyclist killed in an accident and added that stress will be given on encouraging tourism through bicycle.
