Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav, on Friday, alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is conspiring to delete three crore names from voter list in Uttar Pradesh through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Talking to media persons here, Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP and the Election Commission of together conspiring to delete votes wherever BJP suffered defeat. "This is not SIR. This is NRC under the guise of SIR. They could not have directly implemented NRC and are now implementing it indirectly.
They are asking to people show papers. These are the papers one has to show whenever NRC is going to be implemented," he said. Akhilesh Yadav said that Aadhaar is not being accepted which is very unfortunate. He said that people were worried because of SIR.
"First they troubled people with demonetisation and later harassed traders with GST and now bothering people with SIR," he added. The SP President on Thursday expressed confidence that the political landscape in Telangana is poised for change and that the people will once again extend their support to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) if the party continues to remain closely connected with them.
He said parties that stand firmly with the people and fight for their causes inevitably receive public backing. Akhilesh Yadav called on Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao. The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister later told media that ups and downs are common in politics.
"Sometimes people accept us and sometimes they give us an opportunity to reassess," he said referring to the defeat of BRS in 2023 Assembly elections. Akhilesh Yadav said there was a time when they (SP) too were confined to a few seats but they remained amid the people.
"People supported us and today BJP is number two there," he said. The SP leader said that no one can predict when people will support you. He hoped that things would change. "The country needs to march on the path of progress with a vision. The politics of division should end.
Negativity in politics should end. Positivity should come. Progress should be discussed. We will continue to work in that direction," he said. "KCR and KTR are our friends. I have been with them and I will always remain with them," he remarked in response to another query.
K.T. Rama Rao said Akhilesh Yadav's leadership despite losing power in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections but securing a remarkable performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls, turning the SP into the third-largest party in India -- is an inspiration for the BRS.
He expressed confidence that the BRS would similarly "bounce back" and return to power in Telangana. KTR said party leaders held discussions with Akhilesh Yadav on various issues and noted that the SP Chief would meet KCR again during his next visit to Hyderabad.
Akhilesh Yadav also called on Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at his Jubilee Hills residence, the Chief Minister's Office described it as a courtesy call. It said they discussed the latest political situation. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy explained Akhilesh Yadav about the development and welfare programmes being implemented by the Congress government in Telangana.
Akhilesh Yadav lauded CM Revanth Reddy for taking the decision to recognise Sadar, a popular festival of the Yadavs, as a state government festival. He said that the Yadav community in the country will always remember CM Revanth Reddy. Akhilesh commented on this occasion that Revanth Reddy will remain in the hearts of the Yadavs.
He thanked the Chief Minister for giving good political recognition to the Yadav community in Telangana. The meeting was attended by Rajya Sabha member Anil Kumar Yadav, former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, Ramagundam MLA Raj Thakur, and senior Congress leader Rohin Reddy.