Akhilesh hits back at Yogi

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday attacked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his remark that the SP leader is a “leader of miscreants”.

“Meri bhi tasveer dekhlo aap aur unki bhi dekhlo, mafia kon lagega yeh bata do (You can see my picture and his too, tell me who would be considered a mafia),” Akhilesh said.

The SP leader also made it clear that he never referred to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his remark that “the mafia and the head of the street dog are the same”.

“Here the statements of the Prime Minister and the Mahant are received in a different way. The SP and especially I have never said anything about a saint, one of our Mahants, a Sanyasi. If they feel that the word is being interpreted in a certain way, then we will say that he is not our Prime Minister, but a ‘Mathadhish CM…'”, the SP leader said.

The SP chief’s remarks came a day after Uttar Pradesh State Minister Sanjay Gangwar accused Akhilesh Yadav of being a mafia leader and criminals. Gangwar alleged that Yadav had lost his mental balance after the recent Lok Sabha elections, resulting in erratic statements.

“People have seen his relationship with people like Atiq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari,” Gangwar said, adding: “A donkey will see others as donkeys.”

He stated that perceptions of Khilesh Yadav are influenced by his own experiences during his tenure.

“He himself is a leader of mafias and criminals,” the minister claimed.

Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday also accused the SP of intimidating criminals and belittling religious leaders.

“Samajwadi Party members rubbed their noses at notorious mafias and criminals. As per their culture, they call religious leaders mafias,” Yogi Adityanath said at an event, referring to Akhilesh Yadav’s controversial statement.

Akhilesh Yadav also hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over its One Nation, One Election initiative, saying, “If the BJP’s real intention is to cut costs, why is the BJP holding so many rallies?”

“One fine morning, the BJP will also question the need for an Election Commission in the country, saying that a lot of money is being spent on EC officials. After One Nation, One Election is implemented, they will point out that there is no need for the Election Commission and a lot of money is being spent on EC officials,” he said, adding, “If One Nation, One Election is implemented, officials and employees will be brought in through lateral entry and they will be outsourced.”

The SP leader also criticised the BJP government for the poor maintenance of the Taj Mahal, located on the banks of the Yamuna river in Agra.

Reacting to a media report highlighting the dilapidated condition of the Mughal monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP government and its dormant departments have utterly failed to maintain the Taj Mahal, the wonder that draws tourists from across the world.