Etawah (UP), Mar 4 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav celebrated Holi with party workers and locals of his native village Saifai and called for the formation of a “PDA” government in the state, while launching a sharp attack on the BJP over a host of issues, including the alleged insult of a Shankaracharya, the economy and foreign policy.
Playing ‘phoolon ki Holi’ (Holi with flowers) with revellers, he invoked the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) plank and linked it to the controversy over Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati allegedly being prevented from taking a holy dip in Prayagraj.
He said the PDA slogan “fits everywhere in society” and added that the Samajwadi Party stood with anyone who was “oppressed, distressed or insulted”.
Referring to the Shankaracharya episode, the SP supremo said, “Our revered Shankaracharya was aggrieved and insulted. PDA will stand with every person who is oppressed, who is hurt and who is insulted, and we will ensure they get their rights.” Targeting the BJP, Yadav said those who consider themselves the biggest followers of Sanatan Dharma had been “exposed”. He alleged that the government acted arrogantly instead of resolving the issue and that cases were filed in a conspiratorial manner.
“The Gita clearly says that one who feels the pain of others as his own is a yogi. Merely wearing certain clothes does not make one a yogi,” Yadav said.
He also said that in the age of technology and social media, information reaches people instantly and that “no government has lied more than this one”.
Commenting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s recent Japan visit, Yadav said the government had signed fresh MoUs worth Rs 1 lakh crore after earlier claiming agreements worth much higher amounts.
“This government’s time is over; it is time for its farewell,” he said, alleging that inflation had reached alarming levels and prices of essential commodities had risen sharply.
Reaching out to farmers, Yadav said that if the Samajwadi Party formed a government, it would prioritise farmers’ welfare. “When farmers benefit, and their economic condition improves, society improves, the region improves, and the state progresses,” he said.
The former chief minister claimed that during the Samajwadi Party’s rule, roads and expressways were built to connect backward areas and facilitate easier marketing of agricultural produce by setting up mandis along expressways.
On foreign policy, Yadav said the SP had always been against war and advocated peace, invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s message of truth and non-violence. He alleged that the BJP had “weakened” India’s foreign policy and questioned defence procurement from multiple countries, asking how coordination would be ensured during a crisis.
He also slammed economic policies, alleging that agriculture and trade decisions were being linked to foreign agreements in a manner that could hurt domestic producers. “To strengthen the country, we will have to enhance our own industrial capacity,” he said, adding that unemployment remained a major concern.
Yadav said the Samajwadi Party followed the ideals of Ram Manohar Lohia, B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi and was committed to strengthening democratic values.
Calling upon people to take a pledge on the occasion of Holi, he said divisive forces must be defeated, and society and the nation strengthened. PTI COR KIS NSD NSD
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