Akhilesh Yadav condemns Yogi Adityanath's 'DNA mein vibhanjan' comment

Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav attacked Yogi Adityanath over a past comment in which the Uttar Pradesh chief minister had said that the opposition parties possessed "division in their DNA".

"The kind of language he (Yogi Adityanath) uses, be it on stages or the House, a Chief Minister cannot speak like this. Wo Kehte hai inke DNA mein vibhajan hai, agar DNA ka full form bata de, toh hum jaan jayenge ki vo CM hai (He says there is a division in some people's DNA, if he can at least tell the full form of DNA we will know that he is the chief minister"..He should at least clear what DNA is," Yadav said while addressing a press conference here at party headquarters here.

"It would benefit people more if the CM starts speaking on development. He talks of expressways that were actually constructed by Samajwadi Party. Speaking of Purvanchal Expressway, firstly he said it'd be ready by Diwali, then New Year, now April... who knows when will it happen," he added.

In October last year, Adityanath had said "division is in the DNA" of Opposition parties who the chief minister alleged were attempting to create a rift in society on caste and community lines.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday also attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over fundraising for the Ram temple and accused it of capitalising on a pandemic.

"The BJP government itself has been saying that it creates opportunities out of calamity. And thus it is collecting chanda (contributions) during COVID-19. In ancient Indian culture, there was no such thing as chanda. We have the culture of dakshina (offering). We are ready to give dakshina, will the BJP accept?," the SP leader said.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister had recently in Parliament attacked BJP and called it 'chandajivi'.

At today's press conference, Yadav also attacked the Centre over spiraling fuel prices.

"When petrol and diesel become expensive, it results in an increase in inflation. They have put the burden on the entire middle class, poor, farmers and young people by increasing inflation. BJP has caused so much inflation that the poor are thinking that what should we save ... what should we eat? And they are arguing that this will strengthen the country," he said.

Yadav also asserted that BJP will be swept out and the people will "deploy" SP in the state in 2022.

"People are joining Samajwadi Party in droves. BJP will be swept out and the people will 'deploy' SP in the state in 2022. There is a need for a new government in Uttar Pradesh because the old government has disappointed the people. They insulted the farmers. The public would never have faced so much insult as they are now facing in the BJP government," the SP leader said.

( With inputs from ANI )