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Akhilesh Yadav's snub to Yogi Adityanath over links to blast convict remark
UP polls: Akhilesh Yadav said that Yogi Adityanath was taking the attention from the key election issues, such as inflation.
Akhilesh Yadav, the key challenger to Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday snubbed the Chief Minister over the remark that the family of one of the convicts of the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case had links to the Samajwadi Party. Speaking to news agency ANI, Akhilesh Yadav said, “Humare baba mukhyamantri kamaal ke hain. (Our chief minister is wonderful).”
“He didn’t know anything earlier… he doesn’t know anything now. Aur chunaav Uttar Pradesh ka kisaano ke haq ke liye hai… naujawanon ki naukri, rozgar ka sawal hai. (The election in UP is about farmers’ rights, employment for youth). “
“It’s about reduction in inflation, electricity tariffs… How the state will progress – The election is being held on these issues," the Samajwadi Party leader is heard saying in a video tweeted by ANI as he dismissed the claims.
Yogi Adityanath had made the comments earlier in the day. “An Ahmedabad court pronounced the quantum of sentence for 38 terrorists in the (2008) serial blasts case. Capital punishment and life imprisonment were awarded. They included some terrorists from UP too. And, the family of one of them was seen with the SP chief asking for votes for the party,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
“You can imagine. Nayi hawa hai, wahi SP hai. SP ka haath, aatankwadiyon ke saath. This has been proven once again,” Adityanath was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
On Friday, 38 of 49 convicts in the serial blasts case were sentenced to death; others have been given a life term.
Similar comments were made by other BJP leaders. “Akhilesh Yadav ji is fighting the elections. He is very much interested in becoming the chief minister. In his tenure, three incidents of terror strikes happened… he gives shelter to terrorists. He saves them… later court announces punishment,” BJP chief JP Nadda said at a rally.
The acrimonious exchange comes a day before UP votes in the third phase of polls. Among the big ticket battles on Sunday is Karhal – that will witness a high-profile contest between Akhilesh Yadav and the BJP’s SP Baghel whose convoy, his party alleged, was attacked by “SP goons”.
The UP election results will be announced on March 10.
