Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav defended Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his statement after a recent meetings with Muslim intellectuals and political leaders. Akhilesh, who was in Agra to visit SP MP Ramji lal Suman to pay condolences on the death of his wife, said that the opposition was in no hurry to name its PM candidate for 2019 lok Sabha polls. “Rahul Gandhi is more Hindu than any of the BJP leaders and such questions should never be raised about any person and political leaders. It is the BJP who should come forward and clarify whether they are Hindus or not,” he said.
Talking to reporters in Agra on Tuesday, Akhilesh said that the opposition was not in a hurry to name its PM candidate and it could be done either before the elections or soon after. When asked about opposition alliance during the coming lok Sabha polls, the SP chief said, “The action of BJP and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi were big proof that opposition unity has unnerved the BJP and the PM. They have come to assess that tough days are ahead for them.” “Power has gone to the heads of BJP leaders and they have become rude and arrogant resulting in increasing use of derogatory language against opposition. This is despite losing 3 lok Sabha and one Assembly bypoll in the state recently. The people will teach them a lesson this time,” said the SP chief. Akhilesh alleged that the BJP, even after having twin engines (government at the Centre and state), have failed to deliver. “Had the SP been in power, we would have expedited the international airport project in Agra thereby boosting tourism in the Taj City. The situation in UP under the BJP is deteriorating day by day and now even small girls are not safe in the state,’’ he said.