‘Unemployment, inflation & corruption are the biggest issues… Common people have got nothing from current govt’: Afzal Ansari

Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari and brother of the late gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari is in the middle of his campaign in the Lok Sabha constituency. Ansari has been pitted against BJP’s Parasnath Rai, who is considered close to Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor and senior BJP leader Manoj Sinha. Ansari speaks to Asad Rehman about the elections, his campaign and other issues.

The issues being discussed in the campaign are of the people. The biggest issues are unemployment, inflation and existing corruption. The government is misusing its resources and is trying to get votes through fear and terror. The second issue is the government’s greed… There is a huge number of unemployed people. There are no means to get any type of work. When a student gets a loan on interest for education, he or she then doesn’t get a job, and the interest keeps rising… The works being passed off as achievements of the government are things such as jailing opponents, running bulldozers on their houses. These are liked by say, 10 per cent people in society who follow a particular ideology. But it is shown as though the common people are happy with it. People are discussing why courts exist. The people have understood that (Chief Minister) Yogi (Adityanath) will never let his cases be tried in courts… Will you say that (BJP leader) Manoj Sinha is a “vikas purush” (development man)? He was defeated in the election by around 1.25 lakh votes and yet was made Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir.

You had to come to that. To the issue of Mukhtar Ansari, and second what is the status of my case in the High Court… It will become clear on June 4 what people think and feel about the death of Mukhtar Ansari.

Their Chief Minister is coming (to poll meetings)