Akhilesh calls BJP source of 'foul smell'; UP Dy CM Maurya hits back

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe at the BJP, saying it likes "durgandh" (foul smell) and so is building "gaushalas" or cowsheds while his party developed perfume parks.

Reacting sharply to Yadav's remarks, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said if a farmer's son found cow dung foul-smelling, it means he has lost touch with his roots and his community.

Speaking to the media in Kannauj on Wednesday, Yadav said, "Kannauj has always spread the fragrance of brotherhood, but BJP spreads the stench of hatred. I urge the people of Kannauj to remove this BJP stench completely. It has been reduced to some extent, but next time, remove it entirely so that Kannauj's stalled development can move forward."

Taking pot shots at the BJP government, Yadav remarked, "They like foul smell, that's why they are building 'gaushalas' (cowsheds). We like fragrance, that's why we were making a perfume park."

"The government claims that it is capturing bulls but they could not do so as the money for the task in being siphoned off. We are people who appreciate fragrance, while they are people of foul smell."

Hitting back, Maurya in a post on X Thursday said, "If a farmer's son finds cow dung foul-smelling, it means he has lost touch with his roots and his society. Munshi Premchand once wrote that if a farmer's son dislikes cow dung, famine is inevitable. If Akhilesh Yadav finds cow dung stinky, it is certain that his party is heading towards political extinction."