SITAPUR: Countering the charge that his party was now adopting the "soft Hindutva" approach, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said on Saturday that his party had been "very soft" and needed to take the hard stance.
He made the remark while addressing a two-day training camp for party workers.
He said, "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has coined a word. They are saying that it seems we too are going on the path of soft Hindutva. There is no need to panic."
"We have been very soft and the need now is to become hard," Yadav told his party workers.
His remark assumes significance as it came a day after SP general secretary Ramgopal Yadav termed the training camp a crucial step for "destroying the demons", adding that "the BJP is no less than a demon".
About 5,000 party workers attended the camp in Naimisharanya in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh which was addressed by senior leaders.
The SP president hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his claim that "only four out of 100 are unemployed in the state. He says whatever his officers tell him," Yadav said, criticising Adityanath.
On the issue of caste census, Yadav said that if the government wants it can complete such an exercise within a few months using technology.
"Whenever we get a chance to form a government, we will get the caste census done. Social justice will be achieved only when the caste census is done," he said.
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Samajwadi Party has been holding training camps for its workers on booth management and other important aspects of electioneering.
The first training camp was held in Lakhimpur Kheri on June 5, followed by the one in Sitapur. The two districts are known for their Hindu religious sites Devkali and Naimisharanya Dham.