In a scathing attack on Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath likened him to Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, saying one “who does not belong to his father and uncle cannot be loyal to the people”.
“There is a character in Indian history who had put his father behind bars for power. People hate that character to such an extent that no parent names his child Aurangzeb. The Samajwadi Party leader replicated Aurangzeb’s act. The person who back-stabbed his father and uncle cannot belong to anyone,” Yogi said while addressing a caste-based sammelan (conference) here on Friday.
The Chief Minister further said: “When a son ditches his father and uncle for his own vested interests, how can he serve the people without any interest”.
This is one of the most vicious attack on Samajwadi Party president as recently in the Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Minister had equated Samajwadi Party leaders as ‘saanp’ (snakes), a comment which was objected to by the SP leaders.
Incidentally, it is not the first time when Aurangzeb tag has been given to Akhilesh. In September 2016, when the feud within the Yadav clan had come out in the open and Akhilesh, as Chief Minister, had gone to inaugurate the Hajj House in Ghaziabad, the venue had pictures of senior SP leaders but the picture of Mulayam Singh Yadav was missing.
A newspaper, quoting a SP MLC, had said on September 22, 2016 that “he (Mulayam) has been a dotting an indulgent father who was not ready to play Shah Jahan”. Then also the issue had raised a political storm.
The attack on SP president revived the old story, particularly at a time when Akhilesh’s uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav has floated his Samajwadi Secular Morcha and Mulayam has gone public saying “he might get respect he deserves after his death”.
Yogi used this family rift to say: “History has repeated. People of the country know how a prince put his emperor father in jail just for the throne.”
The attack came a day after Akhilesh said that after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Yogi Adityanath would not remain the Chief Minister of UP.
Meanwhile, speaking at the caste sammelan, Yogi said that Nishads, Binds and Kashyaps should get the benefit of reservation.
“The Samajwadi Party government has wilfully taken the issue to court and we are trying to see how reservation benefits can reach this section of society,” he said as the members of these communities shouted Yogi, Yogi.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in his speech said that the government would install a big statue of Lord Ram embracing Nishad Raj.
“The Nishad got the best deal in Ram raj and now Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will ensure that Nishads gets the basic facilities,” he said.
Maurya also asked the parents to send their children to school as “education is the only way a family can uplift itself and it is the key to all development”.
The conference was attended by hundreds of members of Nishad, Bind, Kashyap and Mallah communities.