'Akhilesh’s stature nowhere near Ambedkar': SP chief's morphed poster triggers political slugfest in UP

Lucknow: A poster which morphed Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav’s face with Dalit icon Dr B R Ambedkar has triggered a political slugfest in Uttar Pradesh with the BJP and BSP terming it ‘shameful’ and ‘humiliating’ to Ambedkar and his followers.

The poster, which appeared on cut-outs, showed half of the faces of Akhilesh and Ambedkar and was released by the Samajwadi Lohia Vahini to welcome the delegates arriving in the state capital of Lucknow.

SP leaders here said that the poster was reflective of their party’s commitment to the welfare of the Dalits and was part of the ‘PDA’ (pichda, dalit, alpsankhyak) plank.

BJP and BSP, however, slammed the SP for morphing the picture of Ambedkar with Akhilesh saying that it was ‘shameful’ and demanded its immediate withdrawal. The saffron party also staged demonstrations across the state to register its protest on this issue.

‘’Such humiliation of B R Ambedkar will not be tolerated,’’ UP minister Aseem Arun said. He also demanded registration of a case against Akhilesh in this regard.

‘’The poster shows Akhilesh and Ambedkar on equal pedestal.....Akhilesh’s stature is nowhere near Ambedkar,’’ said BJP Rajya Sabha member Brijlal.

BSP supremo Mayawati also came down heavily on the SP over the poster. ‘’SP’s hatred towards the Dalits is well known.....the poster must be withdrawn immediately,’’ she demanded.

SP has been making attempts to make inroads into the Dalit vote bank of Mayawati through its PDA plank. The SP-Congress alliance succeeded in securing the support of the dalits in UP the 2024 Lok Sabha elections by bagging 43 of the 80 seats in the state reducing the BJP tally to only 33.