Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday hit out at the Samajwadi Party, accusing it of having a history of insulting seers while in power and seeking their blessings when out of power, describing such gestures as “drama”. He said the Samajwadi Party can neither respect ‘sant’ (seers) nor ‘bhakt’ (devotees).
Maurya was in Agra to attend programmes in the city and was interacting with media persons on the premises of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar University.
“When in power, the Samajwadi Party ordered lathi charges on seers and opened fire on Ram bhakts in Ayodhya. Once out of power, its leaders begin bowing at the feet of seers. This is nothing but nautanki (drama),” Maurya alleged.
He said he had worked with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. “I know the Samajwadi Party’s history well, and so do the people. They can no longer mislead the masses,” he alleged.
Maurya’s remarks come days after Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav met Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati in Mainpuri and apologised for the alleged insult caused to the seer.
On Narendra Modi becoming India’s longest continuously serving democratically elected Prime Minister on June 10, Maurya congratulated him and said the BJP would contest not only the 2029 Lok Sabha elections but many more elections under Modi’s leadership.
“It is due to the affection and blessings of the people of India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to create a new record on June 10. The nation is progressing under his leadership and will continue moving towards the goal of a developed India,” Maurya said.
The deputy chief minister also lauded the role of the media, calling it the lifeline of democracy, and said the double-engine government at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh was committed to a strong media ecosystem. He later held a meeting at the circuit house in Agra.
