VARANASI, July 3 -- Attacking the Uttar Pradesh government over its decision to merge primary and upper primary schools having less than 50 students, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday alleged that it was being done to devoid the poor of education.

Yadav also accused the BJP of strategically targeting the ideals of reservation, socialism and secularism, especially when elections are near. "Whenever elections in Bihar come close, they start speaking against reservation, the Constitution and secularism. When they fear a backlash from their vote base, they attack these values indirectly by undermining social justice," he alleged while addressing his party workers after inaugurating the new party office in Azamgarh.

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