BJP to soon project CM candidate for UP polls: Parrikar

Ghaziabad: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar Saturday said BJP will soon project its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh where Assembly elections are slated to be held next year.

Hitting out at Samajwadi Party government over the Mathura violence, he said it is the biggest failure of the state government which has also failed to control 'goonda raj' in the state.

Addressing a press conference on the occasion of Vikas Parv, he said people in the state were feeling betrayed and it is an appropriate time to change the government by voting against it in the upcoming polls, he said.

Highlighting the achievements of the NDA government during its two years in power, he said the Jan Dhan Yojna was successful and the Centre was giving financial support to economically weaker sections in its 59 schemes.

He said honouring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal, about 1.5 crore people gave up subsidy on their gas connections and farmers were getting the benefit of agricultural insurance scheme.

On a question on AgustaWestland scam, he said the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department and other agencies are probing the case and the Defence Ministry is not concerned with it. Only after the final investigation report, will the ministry work on it.

Any person found guilty of corruption will not be spared.

On Bramhos missile, he said it is the effect of Make in India that the country was getting orders of arms and ammunition from abroad.

Parrikar attended two other programmes of traders and RSS. He was accompanied by Union Minister V K Singh.