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Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Pressure of PDA behind caste census announcement: Akhilesh
: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said the Centre's announcement of a caste-based census was the result of pressure by 90% people of the country who belong to the PDA (Pichda or backward, Dalit and Alpsankhyak or minorities) section of the society. He also said his party will ensure proper implementation of the caste survey. Yadav was speaking to the media at the SP headquarters in Lucknow. 'After this, we will ensure that we get our rights as per the population,' he said. Following a meeting with Suheldev Samman Swabhiman Party (SSSP) chief Mahendra Rajbhar and his party workers, Yadav announced that a grand statue of Maharaja Suheldev will be installed at the Gomti riverfront in Lucknow when his party comes to power in the state. The statue will have a sword made of alloy and gold ore. 'I am happy that SSSP people are also in favour of caste census, which has been our long-standing demand. The SSSP workers gave some suggestions today and I want to assure them that their suggestions will be taken care of when we come to power. We expect that PDA people and brothers from SSSP will support us in 2027 also just like they stood by us in 2024,' Yadav said. On the night landing by IAF jets on the Ganga Expressway, the SP chief said, 'What is the difference between day and night landing? You just need lights at night. This is not a new technology. The vision of the Samajwadi Party is being followed by the BJP government. We are proud of the fact that we were the ones who created such infrastructure for defence in the state.' Reacting to the demolition of madrasas and mosques on India-Nepal border by the UP government, the Kannauj MP said, 'This is very serious, the behaviour of the government is in question. Nothing is said to those who give open threats and display swords. There is no action against them. The way in which the vote graph of the BJP has gone down, now they are trying to impress their hardcore voters by bringing the Waqf law and (taking) action against madrasas and mosques.' 'Whatever is happening in Nainital, it is the result of communal politics of the BJP. All they know is to spread hatred and communal propaganda,' the SP chief said. Whenever his party forms a government in the state, he will revive the Old Pension Scheme in Uttar Pradesh, he to the SP chief's announcement of putting up a statue of Maharaja Suheldev in Lucknow, Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) national spokesperson Arun Rajbhar said, 'The SP does not respect great men. When they were in power, they never thought of Maharaja Suheldev. The SP should first respect Maharaja Suheldev Rajbhar by putting his photo on its banners.'
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In preparation for 2027, Akhilesh steps up press meets, attacks on Yogi govt
The Samajwadi Party (SP) headquarters in Lucknow has been teeming with mediapersons and prominent leaders of late. It's thanks to party chief Akhilesh Yadav's almost daily media conferences to raise issues, questioning the BJP and the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government. Party insiders say that with the 2027 Assembly polls in mind, Akhilesh has intensified his attacks, focusing on the alleged neglect of the 'PDA' – Pichda (backward), Dalit, Alpsankhyak (minorities), as per the SP's formulation – as well as government postings in various districts which, he claims, are determined by caste. A senior party leader said Akhilesh will be stepping up his interactions with the media even more in the coming days, and tour the state while continuing to slam the government when in Lucknow. 'He will start visiting districts to prepare the ground for the Assembly polls,' the leader said. SP leaders said that party MPs, MLAs and workers have also hit the ground at the booth-level in all the 403 Assembly constituencies in the state, reaching out to Muslims, OBCs and Dalits. Over the past week alone, the SP chief has held press conferences on five days, including Friday, raising issues like the attack on party MP Ramji Lal Suman by members of the Karni Sena over his alleged derogatory remarks on Rajput icon Maharana Pratap, and the Pahalgam terror attack. On Thursday, after a controversy broke out over a poster put up by the SP's frontal body, the Samajwadi Lohia Vahini, that contained a photo of B R Ambedkar with Akhilesh superimposed on one half, he held a press conference and appealed to party workers not to compare SP leaders to any prominent personalities. The BJP and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) trained guns on the SP over the poster calling it an 'insult to Ambedkar'. With Lohia Vahini leader Lal Chandra Gautam by side, Akhilesh told the media that Gautam would not put up such posters in the future. As a symbolic gesture amid the party's attempts to woo the Dalits, seen to be the BSP's core voter base, Gautam handed over a miniature Ambedkar statue to Akhilesh. Apart from this, the SP chief spoke about how the INDIA bloc was instrumental in 'forcing' the Centre to undertake a nationwide caste census, a decision cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. Akhilesh has also been accusing government officials of 'indulging in corruption' and attacking Adityanath for targeting 'a particular community' with 'bulldozer action'. The SP chief has fallen back on the party's old allegation that Adityanath had carried out 'purification' of the CM's residence when he first moved in, as Akhilesh (who is an OBC) occupied it before him. The SP chief has been claiming a growing gap between the CM and the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, saying Adityanath does not share 'good relations' with some leaders of the BJP. He has repeatedly reiterated that the INDIA bloc will contest the 2017 polls together, and that the PDA will help SP form the government in Uttar Pradesh. Apart from targeting Adityanath in his media interactions, the SP chief trained guns on him during a visit to Ballia district on Wednesday. ' Koi vastra se yogi nahin hota, vicharon se yogi hota hai (an attire does not make a person a yogi, their thoughts do),' he said.
