Mainpuri wants Ram Rajya, not opportunistic Samajwad: Yogi

The SP first family is guilty of preaching new brands of socialism, characterised by muscle power, capitalism and opportunism, alleged the UP CM Yogi Adityanath while campaigning in Mainpuri

On the penultimate day of campaigning for the high-profile bypoll battles in the Mainpuri Lok Sabha seat and the Rampur Vidhan Sabha seat, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday attacked the Samajwadi Party (SP), referring to them as “opportunists”. He alleged that their s amajwad (socialism) is no longer in the same form as that founded by Jayaprakash Narayan and Ram Manohar Lohia, adding that the “new brands” preached by the SP are lathait (muscle power), poonji (capitalist) and awsarwadi (opportunistic) samajwad.

Addressing a meeting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Raghuraj Singh Shakya in Mainpuri, Mr. Adityanath said, “This is not the socialism of JP and Lohia. Chacha (Uncle) Shivpal writes about Lohia, but he does not know what he is writing. Different brands of socialism are visible in one family. Jiski laathi usi ki bhains (might is right), or lathait samajwad (muscle power socialism), is Shivpal’s brand of socialism,” he said, referring to Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party president Shivpal Singh Yadav, who is also the uncle of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

The CM further attacked the first family of the SP by naming Rajya Sabha MP Ramgopal Yadav and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. “Socialism of Ramgopal Yadav was replaced by capitalism. On the other hand, Akhilesh’s socialism is opportunistic,” he said. Mr. Adityanath also asserted that Mainpuri wants Ram Rajya in which all young people, farmers, poor, sisters and daughters benefit from development programmes without discrimination and not such oppourtunistic Samawad’.

The bypolls are scheduled to be held on December 5 while the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

The UP CM further attacked the SP president by alleging that he was absent from his Karhal constituency after getting elected. “After winning in Karhal, the MLA was not seen by the public for a second time, but our Union Minister S.P. Singh Baghel visited the area 27 times. MLA Jaiveer Singh in Mainpuri and Ramnaresh Agnihotri from Bhogaon continue to serve the public,” he said.

In Rampur, the SP’s Muslim face Azam Khan was on the firing line. “Rampur won’t be a toy in the hands of opportunists who once tried to shut down the 200-year-old madrasa and turn it into their fief, those who wanted to steal the manuscripts and obliterate them,” said Mr. Adityanath.

Without mentioning Mr. Khan, whose disqualification from the Assembly necessitated the bypoll in Rampur, Mr. Adityanath said that people are complaining that injustice has been committed against them but the truth is that such an individual is held accountable for misdeeds. “When he was a Minister, he should have assumed responsibility for protecting the establishments rather than taking possession. Bad language always causes misery,” said the CM.