LUCKNOW, Feb. 18 -- Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that under the BJP rule, Uttar Pradesh has gone from disrespecting saints to insulting them. "Under BJP rule, Uttar Pradesh has become a den of crime and sin. The BJP has pushed Uttar Pradesh into an abyss. Curfew-like restrictions are in place due to fear of criminals and extortion. Corrupt officials are running the government," he alleged in a statement. "In eight years of the BJP rule in the state, two million jobs were lost. After 2017, Uttar Pradesh has become a state of turmoil. The BJP broke the eternal tradition of the Kumbh and Magh Melas and insulted the revered Shankaracharya," Yadav further alleged. Regarding alleged damage to a statue of Ahilyabai Holkar during a redevelopment drive at Varanasi's Manikarnika Ghat, the SP chief alleged that the government committed the sin. "In eight years, the BJP government has extorted so much money from the public through inflation and increased electricity bills that they are no longer able to pay taxes. The BJP has filled pilgrimage sites with commercial evils," he alleged. Regarding the issue of caste dominance, Yadav alleged, "The distance between Lucknow and Delhi has increased a lot. The BJP rule has made a record of committing the maximum oppression and injustice on the PDA community. Meetings and community meals have been banned in UP. A wrong trend of power-caste dominance has started."htc...