Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched an veiled attack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath saying that he is not bothered by remarks made by someone who is ‘on his way out.’ Yadav, the former Chief Minister, claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government frequently faced criticism from the courts over law and order.
“Who will listen to those who have no say in their own party. Anyway, why feel bad about the words by someone who is on his way out,” Akhilesh said in a cryptic post on X.
Yadav was perhaps referring to earlier reports about rumblings in the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit after its dismal performance in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. The BJP won 33 seats in theLok Sabha polls 2024, down from 62 it had won from the 80 UP seats in 2019 general elections. Overall, the saffron party's seats came down from 303 in 2019 to 240 across the state in the general elections.
Yadav, the Lok Sabha Member of Parliament from Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh was responding to comments by Adityanath in a public rally hitting out at Yadav.
“Those who used to consider power as their family property have started realising that they will never return to Uttar Pradesh, that is why they are trying to conspire. They (SP) are trying to create anarchy. They have nothing to do with development and the safety of daughters and businessmen,” Adityanath said.
The Chief Minister had criticised Yadav for questioning the police encounter involving Mangesh Yadav, who was allegedly linked to a robbery at a jeweler's shop in Sultanpur.
“You tell me, if a dacoit is killed in an encounter with the police then the Samajwadi Party feels bad. You ask these people what should have happened, ”Adityanath said.
Akhilesh Yadav had claimed that Mangesh Yadav's encounter was fake.
“IPS officers have remained absconding for months, police stations are earning ₹15 lakhs per day. BJP members themselves are kidnapping the police and where the Bulldozer Code has replaced the Penal Code; 'law and order' has become just a word. Those who have made it a habit to get rebuked by the court, it is better that they remain silent,” Yadav said targeting the Adityanath-led UP government.
(With PTI inputs)