Lucknow, March 23 (IANS) Launching a blistering attack on the BJP here on Saturday, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be schizophrenic.
He said the BJP claimed to adhere to the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Sardar Patel, B.R. Ambedkar and Ram Manohar Lohia, but instead they follow people who these leaders opposed and disagreed with.
“I wonder which principles are being spoken of. The BJP seems to be schizophrenic. On the one hand they try to co-opt Gandhi Ji, Bhagat Singh, Sardar Patel, Dr Ambedkar and Dr Lohia and on the other hand they follow people who these leaders opposed and disagreed with,” he said in a tweet.
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister’s remarks came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused political parties that claim to be followers of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia of betraying his principles.
Earlier in the day, Yadav who arrived at the Lohia Park in the city to pay floral tributes to the socialist leader, said: “They (BJP) should remember that the Dalits and the backward communities were aware of their mindset. And people are now ready to give their reply in the Lok Sabha polls.
“When the BJP came to power, it said it will hug the backward communities. But they have suppressed them.”
Referring to the incident of burning his and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati’s photos during the ‘Holika dahan’ ceremony in Barabanki district, Yadav said: “In a democracy to oppose (against something), effigies are burnt, but by burning someone’s picture on the day of a festival, I want to ask the BJP, what kind of nationalism and social justice was that?”
The Barabanki Police has registered a case against the culprits.
On Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s chief advisor Sam Pitroda’s remark on the February 14 Pulwama attacks, Yadav said: “The BJP cannot issue the certificate of nationalism to people. For the sacrifices and valour of the armed forces, we always have respect.”
The Samajwadi Party leader also asked for the reason behind the intelligence failure in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama.
“When the Opposition parties want about the big intelligence failure, the government does not want to answer. And that’s why I have said a number of times that the BJP knows how to divert the attention of people from real issues.”
He also said that earlier the entire debate was on ‘chaiwala’, but now it is on ‘chowkidaar’.
On unemployment, he said that due to demonetisation and the GST, crores of youth have lost their jobs.
“They (BJP) promised to bring ‘achhe din’, but they brought ‘bure din’ for the people.”
Regarding filing of his nomination papers for the Azamgarh parliamentary constituency, he said: “Will do that soon if people are demanding. And will also decide on Dimple Yadav’s (his wife) candidature from Kannauj as people are asking her to contest.”
He added that the candidate for Varanasi will be announced soon along with the other parliamentary constituencies.
On Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath kicking off his electoral campaign in the state, he said: “Don’t tell me about the him. We have heard that he (Yogi Adityanath) played Holi wearing a rain coat. Holi is the festival of colours, and if the colours are not smeared on your face then it is not Holi.”
The SP leader described the social media team of the BJP as “Internet terrorists” and demanded action against them.
“The kind of language they use is not good and we do not want to use such language,” he added.
–IANS
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