JOIN USYogi Adityanath's 'Abba Jaan' remark triggers massive political war
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's use of the word 'Abba Jaan' (father in Urdu) during a public meeting in Kushinagar district has stoked a massive controversy, with opposition leaders decrying what they said an attempt to "communally polarise" the forthcoming Assembly polls.
Adityanath had made the remarks in an apparent reference to alleged appeasement policy adopted by the rival political parties.
"2017 ke pahle kya sabhi ko ration milta tha?....Abba Jaan kehne wale sara ration hajam kar lete the," (did everyone get ration before 2017?...Those who say Abba Jaan used to digest all the ration), Adityanath said while speaking at the meeting on Sunday.
The reference, apparently was to the alleged preference given to the Muslims by the previous regimes of the Samajwadi Party and BSP in the state.
The remarks drew a sharp rebuke from the opposition party leaders, who termed it 'communal' and demanded action against the chief minister.
"BJP has nothing to show to the people.....the state government has done precious little for the common people and as the polls get nearer, the saffron party leaders are trying to divide the people along communal lines,", said a senior SP leader.
BJP leaders, however, defended the remarks saying that Adityanath was only trying to make it clear that the state government did not differentiate on the basis of religion.
Recently, Adityanath, in a sarcastic remark, called the SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav as the SP president Akhilesh Yadav's 'Abba Jaan'. Adityanath's jibe came when his attention was drawn to Akhilesh's remarks that he (Akhilesh) was a "more devout" Hindu than the BJP leaders.
"If it is so then why did his (Akhilesh) Abba Jaan declare that even a bird would not be able to enter Ayodhya?," Adityanath had said while referring to the assertion of Mulayam, who was then the chief minister of UP when the karsevaks threatened to demolish the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in 1990.
A furious Akhilesh had warned Adityanath to be careful in his choice of words. "The CM should be careful in choosing his words....I will too start saying things about him (Adityanath) if he does not stop," he had said.
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