KOLKATA, March 19 (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday asserted that the BJP would be politically finished in the days to come, “just like the Congress,” for allegedly misusing central agencies against opposition parties.
Yadav also pressed for the caste census, which he said, would be a major issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
“Earlier, the Congress used to misuse the central agencies, and now the BJP is doing the same. Congress is now finished. The BJP, too, will meet a similar fate. They are only sending agencies after those parties who are fighting the BJP,” he told a press conference here.
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Asked whether the “misuse” of the central agencies will increase as the 2024 Lok Sabha election approaches, Yadav said, “It might be the case, but it won’t help the saffron camp as preparations for the Lok Sabha polls will start in the next few months”.
Speaking about the political resolution adopted during the two-day national executive meeting that began here on Saturday, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister stated that the party would go to any length to ensure that the BJP is defeated in UP and across the country in the upcoming election.
“Uttar Pradesh is the only state that can stop the BJP, as it has the largest number of seats. We will defeat the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. The entire country is looking up to the Samajwadi Party. The BJP has told many lies, be it prices of diesel, petrol, or LPG or price rise,” he said, adding that the saffron party is working for big corporate houses.
On Saturday, senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav said that the party has set a target of winning at least 50 of the total 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 elections.
Asked what the plans of the proposed opposition front would be ahead of the general elections, Yadav said they wouldn’t be disclosed.
“The goal is to defeat the BJP. Presently, efforts are being made to forge an opposition front. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, and Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao are making efforts (on their own),” he said.
When asked whether the Congress would be kept out of such a proposed opposition front, Yadav said, “The Congress is a national party, so it has to decide its role,”
Speaking on the Delhi Police action against Rahul Gandhi, Yadav wondered whether the BJP did it to help the Congress.
“Nobody knows whom the BJP is trying to target. They might take action against someone, but their target might be someone else,” he said.
The Delhi Police on Sunday reached the residence of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in connection with a notice issued to him over his “women are still being sexually assaulted” remark made during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Yadav claimed that several political parties are keen on having a caste census in the country as it will help reach out to various castes.
“Right now, the big issue is caste census. You can take along everyone only when you conduct a caste census. Social justice is never possible without a caste census. In 2014, the BJP’s slogan was Acche Din. In 2019, its slogan was Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas. So they must conduct it. All political parties from North to South favour the caste census. But the BJP is trying to avoid it,” he said.
He claimed that the Congress, during the UPA-2 regime, had promised to conduct a caste census but later “backtracked” on it.
“Like the Congress, the saffron party is also not keen on conducting it. During the UPA rule, several leaders of various regional parties met then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Then Home Minister P Chidambaram assured them they would look into it. But nothing moved forward,” he said.
When asked whether the SP would contest elections outside Uttar Pradesh, Yadav replied in the affirmative.
“Wherever we have an organisation, we would contest the elections,” he said.
