Farmers Movement Archive

Akhilesh Yadav has ‘Talibani mindset’, must apologise for comparing Jinnah with Patel: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

BAREILLY: A day after Akhilesh Yadav counted Muslim League leader and Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah among freedom fighters like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that the Samajwadi Party chief had a “Talibani mindset that believes in destroying the social fabric of the country" and demanded an apology from him for his “divisive statement”. Other leaders of the BJP, too, attacked Yadav for his remarks, with deputy CM Keshav Prasad terming him “Akhilesh Ali Jinnah” and his party as “Namazwadi Party”. While UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh claimed that Yadav must have cheered India’s loss at the T-20 cricket match against Pakistan, UP BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi said the country considered Jinnah a “villain responsible for partition”. “Comparing Jinnah with freedom fighters is the politics of Muslim appeasement,” he tweeted. On Sunday, Yadav had spoken of Patel, Nehru, Gandhi and Jinnah as leaders who fought for India's independence while addressing a public meeting in UP’s Hardoi on the 146th birth anniversary of Patel. In a video of the event, Yadav was heard saying, “Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohammad Ali Jinnah studied in the same institute. They became barristers and fought for India’s freedom.” Yadav had also mentioned the ban imposed on the RSS by Patel. “It was iron man Sardar Patel who imposed a ban on a particular ideology (a reference to RSS). He also fought for farmers and is known as ‘sardar’. The ruling party claims that it is working on the path shown by Sardar Patel. If this is true, then the BJP must withdraw its decision on the three farm laws. The step will be a true tribute to Patel who worked in the interest of farmers,” Yadav had said. Yadav's statements drew flak from the UP CM as well. At the passing out parade of deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) at Police Lines in Moradabad, Yogi said comparing Patel with Jinnah was a “shameful act”, adding that Yadav “must apologise to the people of the nation for making such a divisive statement”. “Yadav has compared Sardar Patel, who worked for the unity and integrity of this country with Jinnah, who had a divisive mindset. He even mentioned other freedom fighters including Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru while praising Jinnah. This act of comparing Jinnah with people who fought for freedom of our country shows nothing but the divisive mentality of Yadav,” said the CM. Yogi added: “His (Yadav’s) Talibani mindset has come to the fore and this shall not be tolerated by the citizens of this country, especially the state of Uttar Pradesh.” The CM said the BJP has been following Patel and working for India’s unity with the vision of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ (One India, Great India). “The SP chief has glorified Jinnah and praised him. These people work on the Talibani mindset that believes in destroying the social fabric of the country and dividing in the name of caste and religion. Such an act is unacceptable.”

The Times of India

2021-11-02

Bareilly