E-Paper
One day, a child called me Rahul Gandhi: Akhilesh Yadav
The former UP chief minister recalled the episode in the state assembly. Members, including CM Yogi Adityanath, were seen laughing uncontrollably.
There was laughter all around in the Uttar Pradesh assembly on Monday, as Akhilesh Yadav, the Leader of Opposition, narrated an incident that took place during his stint as the chief minister. Among those present in the House when Akhilesh recalled the said incident was his successor, Yogi Adityanath, who himself was seen laughing uncontrollably.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) chief was attacking the Yogi government over the state of education in Uttar Pradesh when he recalled the episode.
“UP is among the bottom four states in terms of education. The government must be disappointed, we are too. Our UP has a population of 25 crore. The state that gave so many prime ministers to the nation…UP has given PMs of their (the ruling BJP's) government. That government is in power at the Centre and in our state, yet this is the level of education under them?”, Yadav said, according to Hindustan Times' sister publication Livehindustan.
However, the former CM acknowledged he too was responsible.
“I always visit primary schools. Once I visited a school when I was the CM. I asked a child if he knew who I was. The child said, 'Yes, you are Rahul Gandhi'," the Karhal MLA said, as the entire hall burst into laughter.
At this, Akhilesh slammed the government, saying that ministers, instead of being upset about Uttar Pradesh's position in terms of education, were laughing only because he mentioned Rahul Gandhi.
The two leaders' respective parties, the SP and Congress, jointly contested the 2017 assembly elections. Akhilesh, the then-sitting CM, was seeking a second consecutive 5-year-term. However, the alliance was victorious on only 54 of the assembly's total 403 seats, of which the SP won 47 and the Congress bagged the rest.
