Akhilesh counters 'inexperience' jibe

SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday countered Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark that he had been tricked into an alliance by the Congress owing to his “inexperience”, saying he had learnt politics after much difficulties.

“I have learnt to cycle... now my cycle is running so fast that both the elephant (BSP symbol) and lotus (BJP symbol) have been left far behind,” the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, addressing an election rally in Mainpuri.

“One does not learn to cycle unless one falls once or twice. Similarly, one does not learn swimming unless water enters the nose and mouth,” Akhilesh remarked, in an apparent reference to the family feud that broke out a few months ago.

On Wednesday, Modi said Akhilesh should not have joined hands with a party (Congress), which was “behind” an attack on his father and SP patron Mulayam Singh Yadav 33 years ago.

“Mulayam had come under attack here on March 4, 1984... he was fired at... it was an attempt to murder. Chaudhary Charan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee had launched an agitation on this issue,” the prime minister had said.

 He also said that being “inexperienced”, Akhilesh had been caught in the trap of the Congress.