UP polls: Only Saifai family flourishes in SP, says CM Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday hit out at the opposition SP, saying they call themselves as socialists but only the Saifai family flourishes in the party.

Saifai in the native place of Akhilesh Yadav, who heads the party.

Addressing a series of rallies in Ambedkar Nagar, CM Yogi said Dr Ram Manohar Lohia used to say that a true socialist must "stay away from property and progeny".

"But the slogan of these so-called socialists is 'sabka saath, Saifai parivar ka vikas' (support of all and development of Saifai family)," Adityanath said attacking the Samajwadi Party.

He said in 1960, Dr Lohia started the Ramayana Mela.

"Now, his present followers shoot Ram bhakts," he said, apparently referring to police firing at "kar sevaks" in Ayodhya when Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister of the state.

Adityanath alleged that previous governments in the state pilfered the ration meant for the poor.

"For those who ate the poor's ration, we've bulldozers. The power of a bulldozer is such that it is used for the construction of the Purvanchal expressway as well as to raze properties of dishonest and corrupt leaders," he said.

The CM also invoked the legacy of Maharaja Suheldev, who he said had defeated and killed invader Ghazi Saiyyad Salar Masood in a battle at Bahraich.

"People doing politics in the name of Maharaja Suheldev are working against his ideology today. I believe followers of Suheldev cannot stand with Ghori and Ghaznavi," he said, adding that for them nationalism is supreme, not the caste, creed or religion.

Adityanath also claimed that the BJP will get absolute majority in the UP Assembly polls and the party has swept the first four phases of the elections.

"Once again, the BJP will cross 300-seat mark," he said. He appealed to voters to vote for the BJP for a riot-free state.