UP CM is an infiltrator, should be sent back to Uttarakhand: Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday likened Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to an infiltrator, saying he is from Uttarakhand and should be sent back to the state.

Speaking to reporters at Lohia Park in Lucknow on Sunday, on the death anniversary of Ram Manohar Lohia, Yadav said the BJP has fake statistics. "If one is to believe their statistics, they would be lost," he added.

"People who are giving the statistics of exodus... We also have infiltrators in UP. The chief minister is from Uttarakhand. We want him to be sent to Uttarakhand. He is not the only infiltrator; he is also an infiltrator from the ideological point of view," Yadav claimed.

The SP chief added, "He (Adityanath) was not a member of the BJP; he was a member of another (party). So, when will these infiltrators be removed?"  Yadav's remarks come days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed some political parties treat infiltrators as a vote bank and questioned why infiltration does not take place along the Gujarat and Rajasthan borders.

Shah made the remarks on Friday while delivering a lecture in memory of Dainik Jagran's former editor-in-chief Narendra Mohan on the topic 'Infiltration (ghuspaith), demographic change and democracy'.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on Yadav's remarks, UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak told PTI that he would respond soon.

Yadav had come to Lohia Park to pay tributes to Ram Manohar Lohia on his death anniversary. He said that Dr Lohia fought against injustice and irresponsibility throughout his life.

"Today, we take a pledge to reach out to the people on the issues he raised, to make them aware, and to ensure economic and social dignity for everyone by walking on the path he showed. Dr Lohia had called for the caste system to be abolished," Yadav said.

On the Raebareli mob lynching case, he said, "If we look at NCRB data, it clearly shows the maximum atrocities against Dalits have taken place under this government. Recently, we saw how a young man from the Valmiki community was killed. There is large-scale injustice against Dalits and backward communities."  He added that the government's claim of zero tolerance has no impact on the ground. "The police, whose job is to maintain law and order, are busy filing false cases against political opponents. As a result, women remain unsafe."  He alleged, "The BJP wants to hide its failures, and the chief minister tells black lies while sitting at a white table... the white table on which he meets people. The truth is that the maximum harassment and other such serious incidents are taking place in UP. All limits of corruption have been broken. Corruption is in every department."  "The same government that once claimed it could reach Kanpur in 45 minutes is now protecting criminals," he said.

Yadav also said, "This park (Lohia Park) was built during Netaji's (Mulayam Singh Yadav) time. In this government, efforts are being made only to stop the work or ruin it."  Hitting out at the Swadeshi pitch made by the BJP, the SP chief said, "BJP leaders talk about Swadeshi, but their hearts are with foreign interests. If they truly believe in Swadeshi, why is there trade with China? Farmers are being beaten with lathis, they are not getting fertiliser, and there is injustice everywhere. For election funding, the government is allowing traders to earn huge profits."  "BJP is the biggest casteist party. In several districts, there are no PDA officers. Only people from a particular caste are being posted. Dalits are facing atrocities, and we will compile their records," he said.

Referring to the suicide of Y. Puran Kumar, a senior IG-rank police officer in Haryana, Yadav said, "Even today, votes are sought on the basis of caste. This is why an IPS officer lost his life. Shoes were thrown in the Supreme Court, religious speakers were humiliated, and a young man from the Valmiki community was beaten to death. The government is only busy with political work and does not understand the people's pain. But now, the public is waking up. Today, as we remember Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, we pledge to spread his vision among the people and build a PDA-led government.