UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya criticises Akhilesh Yadav, says his party protects criminals

Uttar Pradesh News — Image Source : PTI (FILE IMAGE) UP Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Keshav Prasad Maurya on Saturday, August 3, criticised Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, accusing his party of promoting hooliganism and protecting criminals instead of upholding good governance and development.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Maurya launched a verbal attack on the SP supremo, stating, "SP does not mean good governance and development; it means hooliganism and giving protection to criminals. In contrast, BJP's both organization and government are strong and impenetrable. Congress's pawn, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, may dream like Mungerilal, but it will never turn into reality."

Further, the senior UP BJP leader also asserted that the BJP symbol, the lotus, would bloom again in the next assembly election scheduled for 2027. "We will repeat 2017 in 2027 and make the lotus bloom," he said.

Akhilesh-Maurya war-of-words

Significantly, this statement by Maurya is the latest in a series of verbal spats between him and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Yadav had previously targeted Maurya, calling him a "pawn," to which Maurya responded by labeling Yadav a "Congress pawn" and urging him to save his party from extinction.

In a prior social media post, Maurya had stated, “Samajwadi Party leader Shree Akhilesh Yadav ji, who has become a pawn of the Congress, should focus on saving the SP from extinction rather than harboring misconceptions about the BJP, targeting the backward sections, and insulting them.”

BJP slams SP over Ayodhya Gang Rape Case

Additionally, a war of words between the SP and BJP continues in connection with an alleged gang rape case of a 12-year-old in Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, speaking at the assembly, mentioned that one of the accused of the two arrested, Moid Khan, was an SP member, but the party had not taken any action against him.

"Moid Khan is from the Samajwadi Party and a member of the Ayodhya MP's team. He has been found involved in a case of the rape of a 12-year-old. The Samajwadi Party has not taken action against him," Adityanath said.