LUCKNOW: Kicking off a row while reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Varanasi for the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor on Monday, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that "let the PM be in Kashi for 2-3 months as people spend their last moments there."
BJP mounted a fresh offensive against the SP chief saying he had the mentality and the likes of 'Jinnah' and 'Aurangzeb' who always trampled the cultural ethos of India.
"Bahut achhi baat hai. Ek Maheena nahin, do mahina, teen mahina wahin rahein. Woh jagah rahene wali hai. Aakhri samay par vaheen raha jata hai, Benaras mein," he said.
(It is a very good thing. Not just one month. He should stay there for two months, three months. That's the place to stay. When the end nears, that's where one stays - in Benaras).
Yadav's remarks are expected to raise the political heat in UP ahead of the Assembly polls early next year.
Earlier on Sunday, Akhilesh Yadav had claimed that the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project was approved during the term of Samajwadi Party government. "There is documentary evidence to prove it," he had added.
Later, in a tweet, Akhilesh claimed that his government had allocated crores and had started acquisition of buildings for corridor. An honorarium was fixed for temple staff. Referring to the PM as 'Paidaljeevis' (pedestrian), the SP chief asked him to come clear on the cleanliness drive of the Varuna river undertaken by his government.
Meanwhile, reacting sharply to the SP chief’s statement over the PM’s visit to Varanasi, BJP leaders called his remarks as unfortunate.
Mounting an offensive against SP chief, UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh said that the statement reflected the pain which these leaders had in their heart following rejuvenation of cultural heritage.
"This shows that he has a mentality of Aurangzeb (Mughal ruler) and Mohammad Ali Jinnah (Muslim league leader and founder of Pakistan) who dented the cultural identity of India. They are the ones who fired bullets of karsevaks in Ayodhya,” said the state BJP chief.
Union minister and BJP’s UP election in charge, Dharmendra Pradhan said in a tweet, "If works are driven by honest thinking then those who are used to cut ribbon get distracted. PM Modi’s gift to Sanatan Civilization, country, and Kashi, has shown immense reverence for him. But Jinnahwadis are giving indecent statements after getting perturbed. Shameful!"
UP government spokesperson and cabinet minister Sidharthnath Singh said that those who are inspired by Indian culture do not think bad of their enemies. But those who are inspired by Jinnah culture can speak this type of language. What else can one say about Akhilesh ji," Singh said in a tweet.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister's comments should surprise no one as he believes in mindset and actions of Aurangzeb.