NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav criticized Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday, labeling him an “infiltrator” who should return to his home state of Uttarakhand. Addressing reporters in Lucknow on the death anniversary of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, Yadav accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of disseminating misleading data to the public.
“Those citing statistics related to exodus should be mindful that we also have intruders in UP. The chief minister is from Uttarakhand. We want him back in Uttarakhand,” Yadav stated.
He went on to describe Adityanath as an “ideological infiltrator,” referencing Adityanath’s prior association with the Hindu Yuva Vahini before joining the BJP. “He was not a member of the BJP; he belonged to another party. So, when will these infiltrators be removed?” Yadav questioned.
These comments followed remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who accused certain political parties of treating “infiltrators” as a vote bank. During a speech on Friday, Shah asked why infiltration does not occur along the borders of Gujarat and Rajasthan, both governed by the BJP.