Lok Sabha elections 2024: Congress, SP want to give portion of reservation meant for SC, ST, OBC to Muslims, says UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Yogi Adityanath. File pic

Amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday attacked INDIA bloc partners - Congress and Samajwadi Party, alleging that they want to give a portion of the reservation meant for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes to Muslims, reported news agency ANI.

"They have mentioned some things in their manifesto. They said that if the government came to power, then a part of the reservation given to the backward castes would be given to the Muslims. Will India accept it? Will India accept this if we cut off a portion of the reservation given to Scheduled Castes and Tribes and give it to Muslims?" Adityanath said while addressing an election rally here in support of Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ashok Rawat from Misrikh Lok Sabha constituency, reported ANI.

He said that the reservation based on religion is an insult to Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, known as the architect of the Indian Constitution. "Congress always insulted Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar. The Samajwadi Party also insulted Ambedkar and today they are making a malicious attempt to put a dent in your right to reservation. We must not let the plans of Congress and the Samajwadi Party be fulfilled," he added, reported ANI.

He also accused Samajwadi Party leaders of being sympathisers of terrorists. "When they were in power, Samajwadi Party leaders were interested in withdrawing the cases of the terrorists who carried out the terrorist attack in Ayodhya. They had also withdrawn the cases of the terrorists who had carried out the terrorist attack in the CRPF camp in Rampur," he said, reported ANI.

Meanwhile, talking, ANI Yogi Adityanath lashed out at the opposition INDIA bloc, accusing them of insulting national heroes and glorifying terrorists. CM Yogi alleged that the Congress, National Conference or Samajwadi Party have no national agenda and think only about their families. "What do you expect from these family parties? They are limited only to their own families. Be it Congress, National Conference or Samajwadi Party, they have no national agenda but their family is their agenda... On one hand, this alliance insults national heroes and on the other hand, it encourages mafia and terrorist elements...," CM Yogi told ANI.

"Just a few days ago, when a notorious mafia died, the national president of the Samajwadi Party (Akhilesh Yadav) went to express condolences on his death, but how was their behaviour with Ram bhakts when the Ram Janmabhoomi movement was going on?...," CM Yogi told ANI.

He also lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying "The insulting and contemptuous behaviour of Samajwadi Party leaders with the statue of national leader Maharana Pratap yesterday is condemnable... Rahul Gandhi did the same in Maharashtra, where one of his supporters was giving him the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji but he refused to take it. They will not honour the national leader but will glorify terrorists and Pakistan ...," he told ANI.

The Lok Sabha elections 2024 are being held in seven phases till June 1 and the counting of votes in all seats is scheduled for June 4. The polling in Uttar Pradesh, which sends the most members to the Lower House, at 80, is being held in all seven phases of the parliamentary elections. Voting in 16 seats was completed in the first two phases.

In the 2019 general elections, the BJP took a lion's share of the electoral spoils, winning 62 out of 80 seats in the state, with 2 more won by ally Apna Dal (S). Mayawati's BSP managed to secure 10 seats, while Akhilesh Yadav's SP had to settle for just five. The Congress was reduced to just a lone seat.

(With inputs from ANI)