Akhilesh slams Yogi Adiyanath, invokes Rani Laxmi Bai to support Shaheen Bagh protestors

Condemning the remarks of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the Shaheen Bagh protesters, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday compared the women protesting against the amended Citizenship Act to Rani of Jhansi Laxmi Bai.

"BJP leaders keep on issuing anti-women statements. The statements issued by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister against the women protesters in Shaheen Bagh and other locations are objectionable. He should know that the Rani of Jhansi, Laxmi Bai too stood up to fight against the Britishers for safeguarding self-respect. Today also the women have come to protest to save their self-respect," Yadav told reporters here.

The former Chief Minister took part in several programes in Kannauj and Farrukhabad.

Referring to the incumbent UP CM as a saint, Yadav added, "A saint's language and emotion should be according to his stature. The CM saying, 'thok do', 'badla lenge' does not suit him."

Addressing a rally in support of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Kanpur on Wednesday, Adityanath had said: "If anyone will raise slogans of 'Azadi' in the name of protest, it will amount to sedition and the government will take strict action. It can't be accepted. People can't be allowed to conspire against India on Indian soil."

"Now they have pushed women, members of their family, to sit in protest at every crossroads. This is a big crime as the male members are sitting inside their houses, sleeping under blankets while women are made to protest," he had said.