'UP doesn’t want Bua-babua, it wants only Baba': Rajnath hails Yogi, hits out at Mayawati, Akhilesh

LUCKNOW: Bringing the ‘Bua-Babua’ jibe back into the poll narrative ahead of 2022 Assembly elections, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the people of UP did not want either “bua” or “babua”, apparently referring to BSP supremo Mayawati and Samajwadi Pary chief Akhilesh Yadav respectively.

“Instead they will prefer 'Baba' only,” said Rajnath in an apparent reference to Yogi Aditynath. The Defence Minister was addressing 29,500 booth presidents of the BJP from across 16 districts in Jaunpur on Saturday.

The Union minister heaped praises on Adityanath saying that the law of the land was restored during the last four and a half years of his tenure during which not only development to UP took place but employment was also generated, social harmony was attained and a crime-free environment was created in the state.

“Due to improvement in the law and order scenario in the state, investment is pouring in UP. An investment worth Rs 5 lakh crore has already come into the state during the last 4.5 years,” said Rajnath.

Talking about the significance of absolute majority in a democracy, the defence minister said due to absolute majority in Parliament, the government could scrap Article 370. “Today a grand temple of Lord Ram is taking shape in Ayodhya. Those who believed that the dream of Ram temple would never come true, can see it becoming a reality today,” said the defence minister.

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Taking on the Samajwadi Party over raking the Jinnah narrative, Rajnath said that the SP had taken out the Jinnah genie from the close bottle yet again. “Jinnah can never be equalized with the father of the nation.  The SP leaders are praising him. I want to ask them what is the use of bringing Jinnah into discourse as he was responsible for country’s division on religious lines,” said Rajnath.

On the occasion, Rajnath also slammed the Congress, accusing it of not doing enough to curb terrorism after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. He referred to the book of senior Congress leader Manish Tiwari who has mentioned that his party's government did not take the required action after the Mumbai attack.

“Over 170 people had died in the terror attack that rocked Mumbai on November 26, 2008. NO effective step was taken by the then UPA government to give a befitting reply to those behind it, neither steps were taken to counter-terrorism,” said Rajnath adding that now effective steps were being taken against terrorists under the stewardship of PM Narendra Modi.

“After our government was formed, terrorism is completely under control. Terrorists are being killed on the border,” Rajnath claimed. 

“We will not disturb anyone, but if someone disturbs us, we will also not leave them,” he said speaking on the country's security. Speaking on the occasion, UP CM Yogi Adityanath said people should not forget the elements responsible for the partition of the country. “These are the same people who attacked the faith through riots when they were in power before 2017. They had hampered the development of the state by spreading corruption,” he alleged.