Lucknow, Nov 5 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar took a fresh dig at Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, advising him not to remain confined to his own voter base but rather embrace all sections, including the marginalised, as his popular slogan ‘PDA’ stands for.
Rajbhar’s swipe came on the back of SP supremo’s recent visits to Rampur and Varanasi, the MLC constituency where party candidates trounced the two nominees of the ruling BJP decisively.
Taking to social media, Rajbhar wrote, “You went to Rampur to meet the ‘A’, visited the homes and shops of your own caste-fellows represented by ‘P’, and while you were at it, you even took a stroll through the mansion of an MP represented by ‘D’ – just to make a name for yourself.”
Taking aim at Yadav’s previous tenure as Chief Minister, Rajbhar said, “In any case, during your rule, the condition of the real ‘D’ – the Dalits, remained in pathetic state, even as you focused only on the ‘P’ and the ‘A’.”
He further stated, “By the way, if you ever get the chance, visit the homes of some of these ‘real’ Dalits in today’s ‘new’ Uttar Pradesh. You will see that they now have permanent houses and toilets; their women are earning an income through self-help groups, and their children are receiving a good education and finding employment – all of which were forcibly snatched away from these very people during your government’s time.”
Offering a piece of advice to Akhilesh, Rajbhar said, “Sir, come down to the ground level. Don’t just visit your own inner circle; meet the common people. Only then will you realise how much has changed under the current administration compared to your era of misgovernance. Do give it some thought.”
Notably, the SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has consistently maintained that the ‘PDA’, which his party is committed to, seeks to uplift the backward classes, Dalits, and minorities and would alleviate the difficulties and sufferings of every segment of society. Broadening the ambit of PDA, he stated that the ‘P’ also stands for those Brahmins who are troubled or victimised.
–IANS
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