Etawah incident ploy to divide UP along caste lines: Akhilesh
Lucknow:
Samajwadi Party
chief
Akhilesh Yadav
on Friday launched a scathing attack on the
BJP
over the recent assault on a non-Brahmin katha vachak and his team in Etawah. He termed the incident part of a larger conspiracy to divide the state along caste lines.
"The BJP is deploying its 'planted people' with strategic surnames from neighbouring states to carry out its infiltrative politics and disturb social harmony in the state. But the people of Uttar Pradesh are aware of the truth. Society here will not be divided by the actions of a few negative elements — it will emerge even stronger," he said.
Questioning the BJP central leadership's 'lack of trust' in its UP unit, the former CM said: "Is there not even one BJP leader in UP whom those sitting in Delhi can trust? Is that why people from outside are being brought in to stage conspiracies and disrupt peace here?"
Further aiming at the Yogi Adityanath govt, the former chief minister accused the BJP of opening the state's borders to "anarchic elements" who, he claimed, enter Uttar Pradesh, disturb peace, and leave unchallenged.
Referring to the assault on the katha vachak and his team, including a visually impaired dholak player, Yadav said, "A handful of dominance-obsessed individuals didn't even spare the artist who 'sees the world through rhythm'.
By snatching his dholak and levelling baseless accusations, such people have lost the sympathy of even their own community."
He condemned the attackers as "inhuman and un-Indian", saying that those who truly revere India's cultural heritage are always compassionate and kind-hearted. Rallying support under the banner of PDA- his party's inclusive alliance for Pichhde (backward classes), Dalits and Alpsankhyak (minorities) - Yadav said the incident has united marginalised communities. "
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
'If there are issues ... ': Shashi Tharoor reacts to his cryptic bird post- watch
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday reacted to his cryptic bird post, apparently directed towards the party's top leadership. Tharoor dismissed to talk about his reported rift with the grand old party publicly, and said that if there were issues to discuss, they would be "discussed privately". "I am not going to get into political issues here. If there are issues to discuss, they would be discussed privately, and when the time comes, I shall do so," he said speaking to reporters at an event in Ahmedabad. Tharoor's growing rift with the Congress Party has come into sharper focus following his recent remarks and social media posts that appeared to challenge the party's leadership. "Don't ask permission to fly. The wings are yours. And the sky belongs to no one," the post said. The post drew response from Congress leader Manickam Tagore, who said, without taking any names, "Don't ask permission to fly. Birds don't need clearance to rise… But in today even a free bird must watch the skies—hawks, vultures, and 'eagles' are always hunting. Freedom isn't free, especially when the predators wear patriotism as feathers." Moreover, tensions between Tharoor and Congress leadership rose after he praised PM Modi 's diplomacy during Operation Sindoor in a Hindu article, describing his 'energy' and 'dynamism' as assets for India's global standing. The PMO shared the piece, fuelling speculation about Tharoor's loyalty. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge indirectly rebuked him, suggesting his praise for PM Modi was inappropriate. "We say nation first, but some consider Modi first, country later. What can we do about that?" he asked. Tharoor, however, clarified that his remarks reflected national interest, not support for the BJP.
Hans India
37 minutes ago
- Hans India
Congress lost power due to its neglect of backward classes: Union Minister
Bengaluru: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, said on Saturday that the Congress party deliberately ignored the Kaka Kalelkar Commission report to prevent the social and educational advancement of backward classes, despite the Constitution clearly advocating the identification and upliftment of socially and educationally backward communities. Questioning why those who claim to carry the Constitution in their pockets failed to implement the recommendations of the Kaka Kalelkar Commission, he remarked that after India emerged from the Emergency and family-rule politics, the Janata Party came to power at the Centre and established the Mandal Commission. 'It was only after Congress lost power that justice for OBCs began to be seriously discussed,' said the Union Minister while delivering the keynote address at the seminar titled 'Caste Census: Retrospect and Prospect', organised by the Social Justice Awareness Forum – Karnataka, at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan on Racecourse Road on Saturday. He further accused the Congress of neglecting the Mandal Commission's report just as it had done with the Kalelkar Commission's report. 'It was the OBCs who helped former PM late Rajiv Gandhi win over 400 seats in Parliament, but despite receiving their votes and coming to power, the Congress failed to ensure social justice for them,' he said. Yadav also criticised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for allegedly ignoring the OBC report. He pointed out that it was only after the BJP-supported V.P. Singh government came to power that the recommendations of the Mandal Commission were implemented and reservations for OBCs were introduced. Yadav stressed that the Constitution is the foundation of all Indian laws. 'While some may carry the Constitution in their pockets, we carry it in our hearts. If they keep it in their family's wallet, we have embraced it within our souls,' he claimed. Yadav stated that due to the neglect of backward classes, the Congress lost power in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. He expressed confidence that the Congress would not return to power in Karnataka if the backward classes became more aware of their rights. Referring to the recent remembrance of 50 years since the Emergency, he said the Emergency was born out of an authoritarian mindset and reminded the audience that such a situation should never arise again. Highlighting the 17th and 18th-century social reform movements in India, Yadav said these movements led to the reawakening of Indian society, which eventually culminated in the independence movement led by Mahatma Gandhi. He emphasised that the objective of the Indian Constitution is to ensure social, political, and economic justice for every citizen, and reservations were introduced to help build an egalitarian society. Yadav called untouchability a stain on humanity and said that is why reservation was necessary. Retired Karnataka High Court judge Justice K. Bhaktavatsala, who inaugurated the event, said the Constitution framed by B.R. Ambedkar upholds the idea of social justice and equality for all. The event was chaired by K. Mukudappa, a retired government officer who has been advocating for the rights of backward classes for over four decades. He accused the Congress of never implementing either the Kalelkar or Mandal Commission reports. Raghu Kautilya, President of the Backward Classes Front, delivered the introductory remarks. He recalled that the last caste census was conducted in 1931, during British rule.
Time of India
40 minutes ago
- Time of India
Congress dubs BJP 'anti-OBC' for not implementing 27% reservation in MP
The Congress on Saturday accused the BJP of being "anti-OBC" and demanded that the ruling party leaders apologise to people for failing to implement 27 per cent reservation for the community in Madhya Pradesh. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Congress general secretary Bhupesh Baghel said the real face and character of the BJP has now been "exposed". "It has been proved once again that by putting an OBC face in front, the BJP only betrays the interest of the community," the former Chhattisgarh chief minister said, lamenting the non-implementation of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Baghel along with AICC in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Harish Chaudhary asserted that the the Supreme Court had made it clear that there were no judicial restrictions on implementing the quota. "RSS-BJP tried their best to ensure that the reservation is not implemented and spread confusion by calling this matter sub-judice," Chaudhary alleged. Live Events In 1994, Baghel rcealled, 14 per cent reservation was given to backward classes, and in 2003 during Digvijay Singh's tenure, it was made 27 per cent reservation. But the three BJP chief ministers from the OBC community -- Uma Bharti, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Mohan Yadav -- unfortunately did not implement this reservation, Baghel said. "When the Supreme Court has given a clear order that there is no restriction on it, when it was passed in the assembly and the governor signed it, then what is the problem in implementing it," he asked. Baghel said in Chhattisgarh, on December 2, 2022, the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly unanimously decided to give 27 per cent reservation to the backward classes, but it is yet to be accorded the governor's sanction. "Today it is 2025, but it is still being studied. The governor misuses his powers. The Supreme Court has also reprimanded him in this matter," he claimed. "This is the real face of BJP. The BJP is anti-backwards and against farmers. It does not even believe in the Constitution. A living example of this is that the BJP is not implementing the bills passed in the assembly, on which court decisions have also come. This is a very unfortunate situation," the former chief minister of Chhattisgarh and Congress general secretary said. Chaudhary said that in 1994, the then Congress government in Madhya Pradesh had decided to give 14 per cent reservation to the backward classes. After that, the Congress government increased this to 27 per cent in 2003. "But that decision was stayed and it was said that it would be implemented after the elections. Then the BJP government came to power and it was not implemented by the BJP," he said. "The Supreme Court decided to implement 27 per cent reservation on January 28, 2025, and dismissed the PIL filed against it. Even after this, the Madhya Pradesh government did not implement 27 per cent reservation," Chaudhary said. On June 25, he noted, the Supreme Court again said that if "there is no problem with 27 per cent reservation, why is it not being implemented - but even after this comment the government did not take any action". "The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh is depriving the backward class people of their rights," he alleged. MP Congress president Jitu Patwari said OBCs constitute 50 per cent of the population in Madhya Pradesh. "The BJP is basically against OBC, reservations and the Constitution. They do not like social, economic and political equality," he claimed. The Congress state chief demanded that 27 per cent reservation should be implemented immediately and students "who have been harassed for six years should be given appointments immediately". "Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Mohan Yadav should publicly apologise to the people of the state for not implementing the 27 per cent reservation in the state," Patwari said. AICC OBC department chairman Anil Jaihind alleged that "Sangh (RSS) believes in inequality and disparity on the basis of birth while the Congress Party always believes in equality". "RSS does not believe in this Constitution and that is why their leaders keep talking about changing the Constitution," Jaihind said.
