LUCKNOW, Sept. 18 -- Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday attacked the BJP government over the newly announced Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on select UPI transactions. He likened the charge to the old "chungi" system of toll collection and alleged that it was aimed at extracting money from people. Addressing media persons at the party's state headquarters here, Yadav said the Samajwadi Party was opposed to any plan to collect money through UPI. "BJP people are 'chungijeevi'. To turn the economy into a trillion-dollar one, this is all that is left for the chungijeevi," he said. He accused the BJP government of breaking all records of corruption, loot and dishonesty. He alleged that law and order had collapsed across the state, with murders taking place even in Lucknow. Yadav alleged large-scale loot of funds in construction works and said projects executed under the BJP government were of poor quality. He contrasted these with the Agra-Lucknow Expressway built during the Samajwadi Party government, which he described as "world-class". Meanwhile, former UP minister and OBC leader Ram Asrey Kushwaha quit the BJP and rejoined the SP. Once considered close to Mulayam Singh Yadav, Kushwaha formally took SP membership in Lucknow. Several leaders from other parties also joined the SP. Vishwakarma Jayanti was also celebrated at the SP headquarters on Thursday. Yadav announced that if the SP returned to power, Vishwakarma Jayanti would be declared a public holiday in UP as earlier....