Insult to democracy: UP CM hits back at Akhilesh Yadav over 'chavanni' jibe
At an event in Mathura, Yogi Adityanath accused Akhilesh Yadav of using cheap language in politics. He said the remarks insulted democracy, historical memory and Uttar Pradesh's public institutions.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday hit back at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his “chavanni” remark targeting RLD chief and Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary, accusing the SP leader of insulting democracy and reflecting a mindset that disrespects political opponents and historical figures.
Speaking at the Panchayat AajTak event in Mathura, Yogi said the language used by Akhilesh against political leaders showed how the Samajwadi Party was making a “mockery of democracy”. He also criticised the SP chief for using terms such as “dog” and “cat” for political leaders, saying such remarks had no place in a democratic discourse.
YOGI HITS BACK OVER CHAVANNI REMARK
Referring to Akhilesh’s remark about Jayant Chaudhary, Yogi said BJP and NDA leaders had described it as an insult not only to the RLD chief but also to the legacy of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh and the farming community.
Yogi said such remarks reflected the mindset that prevailed in Uttar Pradesh before 2017. Yogi also accused the Samajwadi Party of failing to respect historical figures and freedom fighters.
He recalled an old incident in Gorakhpur involving the inauguration of a park named after revolutionary freedom fighter Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil.
Yogi claimed that the then education minister in the SP government had referred to Bismil as “Bismillah Sahib” instead of using the revolutionary’s name.
According to Yogi, when someone on the stage pointed out that the reference was incorrect and that the park was named after revolutionary Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil, not shehnai maestro Ustad Bismillah Khan, the minister allegedly viewed the correction through a political lens.
“Those who could not even distinguish between revolutionary Pandit Ram Prasad Bismil and shehnai player Ustad Bismillah Khan, you can easily imagine where they must have taken school education in Uttar Pradesh,” Yogi said.
‘CHEATING WAS MADE A BIRTHRIGHT’
Yogi also accused the previous government of promoting cheating in examinations and irregularities in government recruitment.
He alleged that during that period, “recommendation slips” were given more importance than merit and diktats were given greater importance than reason.
He further accused the previous government of giving greater importance to sycophancy towards one family than to India’s heritage.
Yogi claimed that Uttar Pradesh had now moved beyond that era and said there was no “policy paralysis” in the state under his government.