VARANASI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said on Monday that he won't attend the swearing-in of Yogi Adityanath on March 25.
“I am not going to the swearing-in ceremony of Yogi Adityanath because I have not been invited yet. I will not go to attend the event if I am invited now,” Yadav said, responding to a query from the media in Azamgarh.
Replying to a question on whether he will retain Azamgarh
Lok Sabha
seat or
Karhal
assembly seat, he said the decision will be taken keeping the party’s interest in mind.
On reaching his Azamgarh parliamentary constituency for the first time after the election results, the SP chief said, “Decision on whether I should continue as an MP or MLA would be taken by keeping the party’s interest in mind.”
“I want to know from you what I should do? I am also seeking the opinion of senior leaders of the party on this issue,” he said, adding that different opinions are pouring in.
“Final decision will be taken in the interest of the party,” he added.
Yadav also appeared to have softened his stand on EVM row as he said that now it is not the time to discuss this issue, but he questioned the role of administration.
“To divert attention and ensure that there is no demand for review of how
BJP won the election, the government has started promoting the film ‘Kashmir Files’. The result of the UP election is completely different from the people’s expectations. Now, the BJP should ensure that profit being made by ‘Kashmir Files’ is spent on rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits. A committee should be formed for rehabilitation of the Kashmiri Pandits,” he added.
On the drubbing in state elections, the SP chief said the process of review is going on and there were several reasons for the poll defeat.
Responding to the charge of indulging in casteist politics, he said that if BJP does caste politics it is called social engineering but all others are called casteists.
Yadav also termed the rumours regarding return of SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar to BJP as a Holi joke.
He went on to target BSP chief
Mayawati saying she did nothing to save the Constitution of Dr BR Ambedkar. “It is being said that she joined hands with the BJP secretly. Time has come when
Samajwadis
will have to bring all Ambedkarwadis together,” he said.
On the day, the SP chief visited the house of former minister Balram Yadav and former minister Durga Prasad Yadav, who won the Azamgarh Sadar assembly seat for the ninth consecutive time, besides meeting all the newly elected MLAs of the area.
Akhilesh also held closed-door discussions with senior party leaders.