Akhilesh Yadav mocks RSS chief Bhagwat, endorses Tejashwi for Bihar elections
The Samajwadi Party chief takes a dig at Mohan Bhagwat, flays the Election Commission as a 'Jugaad Commission,' and vows to drive BJP out of Bihar during the Congress-led yatra
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday took a dig at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent claim that India has had “the same DNA for 40,000 years.”
Addressing a rally in Ara during the final leg of the 'Voter Adhikar Yatra', Yadav sarcastically remarked, “We’ve been saying our fight for social justice is 5,000 years old, but now we’re told it’s 40,000 years.”
He added, “While we speak of 5,000 years of social inequality, they claim the existing order is 40,000 years old. After defeating the BJP in Awadh, it’s time to drive them out of Magadh.”
The SP chief had arrived in Bihar a day earlier (August 29) to participate in the yatra, which is being led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi along with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Also Read: All eyes on Akhilesh as SP chief set to join Rahul's Bihar yatra
Akhilesh slams EC
Akhilesh Yadav strongly criticised the Election Commission of India (ECI) for conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in poll-bound Bihar, accusing the poll body of functioning as the BJP’s “Jugaad Commission.”
"I have come to join the Voter Adhikar Yatra and congratulate the people of Bihar for their support. Bihar's voice is being heard across the country. This time, the BJP will be wiped out in Bihar as they have undermined the rights guaranteed by the Constitution," he told reporters in Patna.
Taking a swipe at the ECI, he remarked that the people of Bihar had decided to carry out an “SIR of the Election Commission” itself.
"The right to vote belongs to us, and I’m glad the people of Bihar, along with Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi, initiated the yatra. They’ve taken the necessary step to conduct an SIR on the Election Commission, which has become nothing more than a 'Jugaad Commission' for the BJP," Yadav added.
Stating that the people of Bihar have witnessed how youth earlier used to migrate, he praised Tejashwi for providing them with jobs and employment. He added that this time, when Tejashwi comes to power, there will be no migration of the unemployed; instead, it will be the BJP that will be forced to migrate.
Also Read: Rahul accuses BJP, RSS, EC of 'vote chori' in Bihar, vows to protect voting rights
Congress' 'steadfast ally'
In a post on X, senior Congress leader K C Venugopal said Akhilesh is a "steadfast ally" in the party's fight against the alleged attempt by the BJP to destroy the country's democracy.
"This morning, former UP CM Akhilesh Yadavji joined the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Saran. I welcomed him to this historic movement to protect democracy. He has been a steadfast ally in our fight against the BJP’s destruction of democracy and a strong voice for the poor and underprivileged in UP and across the country," Venugopal said on the social media platform. He also shared photographs of Yadav meeting Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
Also Read: Rahul Gandhi asks EC how 947 voters reside in one house in Bihar
Voter Adhikar Yatra
On its 14th day, the yatra moved from Saran towards Bhojpur, attracting large crowds along the route.
Akhilesh Yadav embraced Tejashwi as the two leaders met, while Rohini Acharya, daughter of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, who had contested from Saran in the Lok Sabha polls last year, also joined them in the same vehicle.
Akhilesh, Tejashwi and his sister Rohini, and other representatives of the INDIA bloc were seen waving at an enthusiastic crowd from an open-top sports utility vehicle in Saran.
Rahul had launched the Congress's 'Voter Adhikar Yatra' on August 17 from Sasaram in Rohtas to oppose the Election Commission’s SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar. Covering over 1,300 km across 20 districts, the march will conclude in Patna on September 1.
So far, the yatra has passed through districts including Gaya, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Lakhisarai, Munger, Katihar, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Purnea, West Champaran, Gopalganj, East Champaran, and Siwan, and will now move through Bhojpur before reaching Patna.
(With agency inputs)