Everyone should like minorities, stand up against injustice to weak: Akhilesh Yadav

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said everyone should like minorities and stand up against injustice meted out to the weak.

The statement came hours after Akhilesh took to social media to decry the attack on those offering prayers. “Prarthnaon par prahar achcha nahin (Assault on prayers is not good),” read his single line cryptic post on ‘X’. Akhilesh’s post was being seen in response to a viral video in which a policeman was seen kicking people offering namaz on the road outside a mosque in Delhi. The cop was later suspended.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow on Saturday afternoon, SP chief was asked about BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad’s remarks that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is contesting from Wayanad because he likes minorities who are in majority there. “Main to ye kehta hoon minorities ko sabko pasand karna chahiye. Jo kamzor ho, jiske saath anyay ho raha ho, uske saath khada hona chahiye sabko (I will say everyone should like minorities. Everyone should stand with those who are weak and are being subjected to injustice),” he said.

Asked if party’s commitment to PDA will reflect in selection of candidates for MLC and Lok Sabha polls, he said: “PDA imprint will be visible on all decisions of the party for the next 50 years.” Akhilesh has coined PDA — Pichrde (backwards), Dalits and Alpsankhyak (minorities) — which he claims will vote out the BJP-led NDA in Lok Sabha polls.

On PM Narendra Modi’s proposed Azamgarh visit on Sunday, he said people of UP know how to welcome someone and how to bid them farewell. “BJP came to power in 2014 and will be voted out in 2024. Even Hitler couldn’t rule for more than 10 years,” he said.

Modi’s Azamgarh visit is being seen as BJP’s attempt to consolidate its vote bank in the region. Azamgarh is dominated by Yadav and Muslim voters on whom SP has enjoyed a good hold over the years. In the 2022 Lok Sabha bypoll, SP’s Dharmendra Yadav lost from the seat to Bhojpuri actor and BJP candidate Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahua’. The major factor behind SP’s defeat was BSP candidate Guddu Jamali who came a close third and this time he has joined the SP.

Akhilesh was talking to the media on the sidelines of an event at party headquarters where leaders from various political parties joined SP along with their supporters. They included former JD(U) MLA Subhash Chandra Srivastava, ex-MLA from Auriaya Madan Gautum, former MP Bhal Cahndra Yadav’s son Subodh Yadav, former BSP MLA candidate Iliyas Ansari, former minister Shakir Ali’s son Pervez Ali, Hardoi BSP leader Tilak Chandra Sharma, and RLD youth wing leader Latesh Bidhurdi.