‘Not looking at community or caste, want to defeat BJP’: Akhilesh Yadav
SP national president Akhilesh Yadav says he is not perturbed by the personal attacks on him by the BJP leaders ahead of the UP elections.
Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav is not perturbed by the personal attacks on him by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, who are constantly accusing him of promoting “Yadav-vad, parivar-vaad and mafia-vaad” (rule by the Yadavs, the family, and the mafia).
While giving final shape to his campaign plan for the state on cycle and foot, he spoke to HT even as the crowds outside his party office raised slogans “Bhaiya aa rahe hai (brother is coming to power).”
The BJP is repeatedly accusing the Samajwadi Party of giving tickets to mafia dons, rioters and criminals?
Go through the affidavits submitted by the chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. The Indian Penal Code does not have so many sections as they have charges in their combined list.
The BJP and the government claim that Yogi Adityanath improved law and order, sent criminals to jail, and that you promote rioters.
The BJP leaders, in all their campaigns across the country, use certain selective words against the Opposition. You can see their old clips. The fact is they want to divert public attention from pertinent issues such as price rise, unemployment, farmers’ problems, and poverty, as they have neither done anything for them nor have an answer [on what they will do]. When we raise these issues, they are reminded of “abba jaan” and “lal topi” both terms used to target Yadav). When we promise our pension plan after having elaborate discussions with experts, they talk about nepotism. They don’t want to lose UP. So, demonetisation happened before UP elections (in November 2016), and now they withdrew the farm laws (in November 2021), only for votes.
But Yogi Adityanath has used bulldozers against criminals?
Is it not a fact that criminals of his (Yogi’s) own caste were allowed to play cricket (a reference to Dhananjay Singh in Jaunpur, a wanted BSP leader spotted doing so) on the ground? Has he bulldozed illegally acquired property of criminals in Jaunpur, Faizabad, Varanasi, Azamgarh and Sultanpur (Brajesh Singh in Varanasi), just because they belong to his caste? Criminals of his caste were spared. Why?
Are you saying CM is casteist and he favours Thakurs?
Yes, 200%. There is no need for me to say so. People can check the records. How many vice-chancellors and directors appointed by him were Dalits or belonged to other backward classes. There was caste discrimination at every level. Check the STF team and the probes, the state Intelligence. Check his core team.
Why is development no more a poll issue?
We are raising issues of development, they are raising other issues to hide their failures. But some of their comments against Netaji ( Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav) are in poor taste. As for Aparna Yadav (the wife of Akhilesh’s half brother) joining the BJP, it’s fine. She has taken our ideology to the BJP, and will answer questions raised by us on quota, and injustice with backward classes, Dalits, Muslims and women.
Aren’t Muslims upset with your party for not giving them due representation in ticket distribution?
This is a very crucial election as every section of the society has suffered during BJP rule. We are not looking at the caste or the community of the candidates. We want to defeat the BJP as, across the country, excesses have been committed on all, including Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits and backward classes. I am in touch with every caste and community. No one is upset. They want us to defeat the BJP.
Some OBC leaders have been demanding a caste census?
We have promised caste census within three months of the government formation, and they will get benefits of the welfare schemes according to their population.
What about farm laws?
They withdrew the farm laws for votes and can reintroduce them after the elections are over. They repealed them primarily because of the pressure generated by our rallies, as well as the farmers who did not allow their leaders to enter villages. Once the elections are over, they can bring back the farm laws. Farmers are aware of this fact.
The Union home minister raised the issue of exodus by Hindus (under SP rule) while launching door-to-door campaign from Kairana?
The issue was raised by the late BJP leader Hukum Singh who, after realising the truth, had admitted the list (of those who left) was wrong. I would want the home minister to go to Uttarakhand and check the exodus from villages there. As many as 1,200 villages have no population there.
The BSP is fielding more Muslims in West UP – 40 out of 109. Some say Mayawati is trying to split te anti-BJP vote.
Everybody knows about the BSP and its agenda. She (Mayawati) has twice formed the government in coalition with the BJP. Her target is the SP and not the BJP. Even in the zila panchayat elections, she connived with the BJP to defeat SP candidates. Even her one-time supporters, who are followers of BR Ambedkar, are now with us. They know the BJP can even change the constitution. After all, it’s a political wing of the RSS which has one agenda – creation of Hindu Rashtra.
Do you have any strategy to defeat Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur?
He did not contest from Ayodhya because he knew he will lose from there. The traders and farmers are angry as they have not been adequately compensated for their acquired land. The seers, whom I have met, are also fuming as they have not got any place in the trust (the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath KshetraTrust) which is in charge of building the temple). I have promised them a trust for their matts.
Why are you contesting the election?
The party wanted me to contest. I agreed. And I am contesting from one seat only.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi has also extended support on your seat?
I can only thank her for that.
You think the Opposition should have united against the BJP?
No, let everyone contest. We know we are winning the elections. We have worked hard.
But can your poll machinery match that of the BJP?
Let them get people from Gujarat. The Samajwadis are determined to win from every booth.
What about your campaign?
My party worker was detained at the police station for four hours for not wearing a mask. But what about the Union home minister, who was not wearing a mask himself? The CM’s convoy had dozens of cars. Is the Election Commission watching them and taking any action against them? The fact is that party with a difference (a reference to the BJP) is now a party with a distance. We will cycle, do door-to-door campaigns. Change is inevitable.
Where do you see yourself on March 11?
With my people, supporters. All good will happen, as people have made up their minds already.