LUCKNOW: Defending senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan over his derogatory comments against BJP’s Rampur candidate Jaya Prada, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav claimed that Samajwadis could never insult a woman as they respect all mothers and daughters.
Interacting with the media while introducing Poonam Sinha, wife of Shatrughan Sinha, whom the SP is fielding as a candidate from Lucknow, Akhilesh said, “In UP, our government had worked hard to protect the girls. Our performance was the best on this front. We brought women power,” he said.
Jaya Prada, the BJP candidate from Rampur is challenging SP leader and ex-minister Azam Khan in his home turf. Azam’s ‘underwear’ jibe during a speech has attracted nationwide outrage. Consequently, the Election Commission had imposed a 72-hour gag order on him.
However, calling Azam’s jibe a minor issue being blown out of proportion by the media, SP chief’s wife and party’s candidate from Kannauj Dimple Yadav accused the media of following double standards.
“Why these minor issues are being blown out of proportion now? Where was this media when a BJP leader had said something nasty about BSP chief Mayawati in 2016 or for that matter when comments are made against Priyanka Gandhi, then media goes silent.”
Meanwhile, Poonam, who joined SP on Tuesday, was officially announced as the party candidate by Akhilesh on Wednesday. She will challenge Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Lucknow. Shatrughan Sinha had recently quit the BJP and joined the Congress.