Akhilesh Yadav Attacks BJP Over Democracy And Voter Lists (Img: Dynamite News)
Mainpuri: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack on the BJP during his visit to Mainpuri, accusing the ruling party of undermining democratic institutions and raising concerns over phone tapping, reservation, education and electoral processes.
Addressing reporters, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also questioned the proposed delimitation exercise, expressed apprehensions about changes to voter lists and took a swipe at the BJP over its political stance on the Ram Temple and PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) politics. He also spoke about the future of the SP-Congress alliance and the possibility of other political combinations.
Asked about allegations of Rahul Gandhi's phone being tapped, Akhilesh said recording conversations had become increasingly common in the age of technology. He pointed out that the BJP itself encourages people to make reels and earn money through social media.
He suggested that technological advancements had made recording and surveillance easier, while questioning the implications of such practices for democratic rights.
Akhilesh Yadav Raises Questions Over Rahul Gandhi Phone Tapping (Img: Dynamite News)
When asked about visiting the Ram Temple, Akhilesh avoided giving a direct response and instead took a dig at the BJP over its interpretation of PDA.
He said the BJP came up with a new meaning for PDA almost every day and was now promoting another formula. Taking a sarcastic swipe, he said, P stands for "pet mein dard" (stomach ache), adding that he did not wish to say anything further.
On whether a possible political alliance between Asaduddin Owaisi and Chandrashekhar Azad could hurt the Samajwadi Party, Akhilesh referred to the support his party enjoys among Dalit communities.
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He said he had recently attended a major conference of Dalits and PDA supporters in Agra, where a large number of people participated. According to him, attendees were concerned about the safety of the Constitution.
He stressed that the Constitution must remain protected to safeguard people's dignity and reservation rights.
Akhilesh also criticised the Yogi Adityanath government over the state of public education, claiming that around 26,000 government schools had been shut down.
In a sarcastic remark, he said the government was now preparing to open liquor shops at these locations, with even a counter for "vanaspati".
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He argued that shutting government schools and failing to provide employment would disproportionately affect poor, backward and Dalit communities.
Questioning the proposed delimitation exercise expected to be discussed during the December session, Akhilesh asked how the government would get the proposal passed when many people were opposed to it.
He said decisions should be based on current data and ground realities. He also alleged that the BJP was preparing for a larger political conspiracy and warned of possible irregularities in voter lists.
Akhilesh expressed concern that changes could be made to electoral rolls at the last moment, potentially affecting people when they arrive to cast their votes.
Aiming at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's 'double dose' remark, Akhilesh claimed that its impact had been such that 1.27 crore Hindu votes were deleted.
He used the allegation to question the credibility of the voter list revision process and also recalled an earlier statement by the Chief Minister: Give me blood, and I will give you freedom.
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Responding to Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's earlier statement, '100 mein 60 hamara, 40 mein bantwara' (60 out of 100 belong to us, the remaining 40 will be divided), Akhilesh called it an outdated and repetitive political slogan.
He claimed that 95 per cent of people were now on one side, referring to those who felt victimised and humiliated. His remarks were aimed at reinforcing the Samajwadi Party's PDA political narrative.
