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‘Want to extend gratitude for…’: Yogi Adityanath's message to Mulayam's daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath compared the Samajwadi Party with that of Mahabharat, saying all relationships shown in the epic can be found within the party.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday that he would like to extend gratitude to Aparna Yadav, who he claimed broke the shackles of dynasty politics and left the Samajwadi Party (SP) at the right time to work for the welfare of the public.
“People in the SP government never had time for the state, and that's why I would like to extend my gratitude to Aparna Yadav for joining the BJP and committing herself to the welfare of the public,” Adityanath said at a public meeting in Lucknow.
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Aparna Yadav is the younger daughter-in-law of SP founder-patron Mulayam Singh Yadav. She joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last month, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always “inspired” her.
Taking a swipe at the SP, the chief minister compared the Akhilesh Yadav-led camp with the Mahabharat, saying all types of relationships that are present in the epic, can be seen within the party. Adityanath further stated that unlike the BJP's mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, the SP's aim was 'sabka saath…khandan ka vikas (development of dynasty)".
Referring to the SP's promises of offering jobs to the youth of Uttar Pradesh if voted to power, Adityanath said that when the party was reigning in the state, corruption was rife across departments, with individuals paying a bribe as high as ₹50,000 to become the deputy collector. “How can one who paid ₹50,000 to become a deputy collector work for the welfare of the public?” he asked the crowd at the public meeting.
“Today, they (the SP) are talking about giving jobs to the youth. What did they do when they were in power,” the chief minister asked, adding that he had to terminate a string of officers after the BJP formed government in Uttar Pradesh, and gave fresh jobs.
Adityanath said that the BJP-led ruling dispensation provided 1 crore youth of the northern state with smart phones and tablets in order to help them proceed in the path of development. However, he added, the SP raised questions regarding the move, saying there was no need for it.
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“I want to tell them (the SP) that now we're giving smart phones and tablets to 1 crore youth, but after March 10, we will distribute them among 2 crore youth,” Adityanath added.
The chief minister also attacked the Opposition over their questions regarding the Covid-19 vaccination drive across the country, taking cue from what Modi said earlier in the day at a public meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur. Adityanath said when the nationwide campaign to administer jabs to beneficiaries commenced, the Opposition termed it as “Modi or BJP vaccines” but today India has successfully combatted the third wave of Covid-19 because of the saffron party's quick ability to handle crisis.
“During the time of pandemic, it was either the BJP government that was beside the public or the double-engine regime in Uttar Pradesh. Did anyone from the Opposition help you in any way?” Adityanath asked the crowd, citing the opposition leaders undergoing “home quarantine”.
Adityanath was campaigning for Rajeshwar Singh, who is the BJP's candidate from Sarojini Nagar constituency in Lucknow. Aparna Yadav was also present with them along with other saffron party workers on stage.
Notably, Aparna joined the BJP last month soon after former ministers of Adityanath's cabinet Dara Singh Chauhan and Swami Prasad Maurya, shifted to Akhilesh's side. The saffron party has been vocal about highlighting the fact that Aparna is the “choti bahu” of Mulayam, with Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya using the phrase to welcome her into the party.
A few days after switching sides, Aparna posted a picture on Twitter, saying that she took “blessings” of “father/Netaji” as Mulayam is popularly known following her new journey.
Aparna is married to Prateek Yadav, the son of Mulayam and his second wife. Akhilesh is the half-brother of Prateek as he is the son of Mulayam from his first marriage.
