Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh president minister Mayawati on Sunday targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, asking him to introspect before making any unrestrained jibe at her party.
Mayawati's comment comes a day after Yadav took a swipe at the BSP while speaking to reporters during an event in Ballia district.
The SP chief, on being asked whether the BSP would join the I.N.D.I.A bloc, Yadav questioned in return, "Who will give an assurance after that?"
"The SP chief who is helpless owing to his and his government's anti-Dalit policies, habits and style of working, should introspect before making any unrestrained comment on the BSP and check how tainted his reputation is in this strengthening the BJP and reconciling with them," Mayawati said in a post on X in Hindi.
"Also, who can forget the blessings given by the then SP chief to the BJP before and after winning the parliamentary elections. And then how can the public forget the meetings of the SP leadership with the BJP leadership after their government was formed (in the Centre)? In such a situation, it would be appropriate if SP fights communal forces," she added.
Ahead of Lok Sabha elections, I.N.D.I.A members are tring to take all the opposition parties on the board. In Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 Lok Sabha MPs to the parliament, the SP is in alliance with Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) and both RLD and SP are part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc. However, BSP showed reluctance in joining with the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
He further stressed, "The SP is in the I.N.D.I.A bloc with full responsibility. Information about who will be given what responsibilities in the alliance will be provided very soon."
(With PTI inputs)
