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Attacks on RLD shows its growing relevance in UP: Jayant Chaudhary
Union minister says although he wants to stay away from controversies, if his party continued to be targeted, a reply will be given at an appropriate time
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Targeting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav without naming him over his ‘chavanni ka rupya bana diya’ remarks, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief and Union minister Jayant Chaudhary said on Thursday that such attacks on his party indicated its growing political relevance in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the assembly polls.
Addressing the RLD’s ‘Swabhiman rally’ at Gochar Krishi Inter College ground in Saharanpur district’s Rampur Maniharan, Chaudhary said political atmosphere had charged with elections approaching and that a fresh round of statements, allegations and counter-allegations had begun.
He further said the continued mention of his party by political rivals was a sign that the RLD was working in the “right place and in the right direction”. Chaudhary said although he wanted to stay away from controversies, if his party continued to be targeted, “a reply will be given at the appropriate time”.
Invoking the legacy of his grandfather and former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh, he said even if people had chosen different political paths, everyone should remain united on the issue of respecting Charan Singh. Describing the Bharat Ratna awarded to the farmer leader as a major honour for the farming community, he sought to connect different sections of the farming community with his legacy.
He specifically referred to communities, including Pal, Yadav, Gurjar and Jat, saying that they were all part of the wider legacy associated with Charan Singh. According to him, Charan Singh had provided political identity and a voice to sections of society that had remained on the political margins for a long time.
On the issue of sugarcane prices, Chaudhary said the Opposition appeared concerned when sugar and sweets became expensive but did not show the same concern about the farmer’s production costs and income.
On the sugarcane price for the 2026-27 season, he said he had openly said during his earlier poll campaign that if the number of seats crossed 400, the sugarcane rate would also cross ₹400. He said politicians seeking to make an issue out of sugarcane prices should instead focus on the farmer’s income and the cost of cultivation.
The RLD chief also raised concerns over the growing use of drugs among young people in western Uttar Pradesh. He described the problem as a social menace that was taking the form of a “silent epidemic” in the region.
Chaudhary said the government was working to tackle the problem, but the campaign would have a greater impact only when society and the public recognised the seriousness of the issue.
He appealed to RLD workers to become part of a social campaign against drug abuse. He also urged young people struggling with addiction to seek help on the government’s toll-free helpline 14446.
