Thoughts, not clothes, make one a 'yogi': Akhilesh takes dig at UP CM Adityanath

Prayagraj (UP), Nov 14 (PTI) Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a veiled jibe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying without taking his name that one became a "yogi" by their thoughts and words and not clothes.

Yadav, who was addressing an election rally in Phulpur where the Samajwadi Party is backing Mustafa Siddiqui, also claimed that the chief minister was on his way out.

"People know this government is on its way out," he said and added that Adityanath's chair would not be spared regardless of the outcome of the Maharashtra elections.

Yadav had earlier hinted at tensions between Adityanath and the BJP's central leadership. He had also claimed during the Lok Sabha election campaign that Adityanath would be removed if the BJP was elected to power again.

Commenting on Adityanath's rhetoric, Yadav said, "Our chief minister is very knowledgeable but he speaks too much where less is needed. That's why we have the tradition of 'mauni baba' -- to speak less. Whenever he speaks, it's bitter. His negative mindset is reflected in his negative language." Without naming Adityanath, the Kannauj MP said, "No one becomes a 'yogi' by their clothes. One becomes a 'yogi' by their thoughts and words." Yadav also attacked the ruling party for getting the bypolls to nine assembly seats in the state, originally scheduled for November 13, postponed to November 20.

"The BJP will face defeat in these bypolls," he asserted.

Taking a jibe at BJP leaders, the Samajwadi Party supremo called them "negative people" and mockingly claimed, "Even NDA (National Democratic Alliance) starts with an 'N' for 'Negative'." He also defended the Samajwadi Party's stance, saying "PDA" -- an acronym coined by him to denote "picchde (backwards), Dalits and alpsankhyak (minorities)" -- stood for "positive and progressive" in contrast to the BJP's negativity.

Reiterating his concern for the state of democracy and the Constitution, Yadav said, "Both are in danger. The only way to save them is by removing the BJP government from Lucknow and Delhi." The bypoll in Phulpur was necessitated after the incumbent MLA was elected to the Lok Sabha.

The BJP has fielded former MLA Deepak Patel for the bypoll while the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has nominated Jitendra Kumar Singh. PTI