UP: Fresh war of words between SP, BJP over DNA row

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Monday continued to trade barbs, with the BJP leader charging that the SP was "born with the DNA of Muslim appeasement" while the SP accused him of indulging in sycophancy and meaningless talk.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also backed Pathak and advised the Samajwadi Party top brass to thoroughly review its social media handles and ensure that the language used there is decent, restrained and dignified.

The BJP leaders were reacting to an alleged objectionable post targeting Pathak that was posted on the Samajwadi Party's official X handle.

Yadav on Sunday said he has taken assurance from his people that this will not happen again, and hoped that Pathak would as well stop making the kind of statements that triggered it.

The SP had also referred to news clippings where Pathak had referred to "DNA of Samajwadi Party."

In a post on X, Adityanath said, "Although it is futile to expect any ideal conduct from the Samajwadi Party, but civilised society cannot tolerate their indecent and vulgar statements. The top leadership of the Samajwadi Party should thoroughly review their social media handles and ensure that the language used there is decent, restrained and dignified."

Earlier, in a lengthy post on X in Hindi, Pathak said, "Akhilesh Yadav ji, you are very angry on the question of DNA. I said there is a problem in the DNA of Samajwadi Party, (and) you lost your temper just like you were thrown out of power in UP 10 years ago. You should understand that by problem in DNA we do not mean any particular person, but the political thinking of your party."

"Problem in DNA means that the foundation of your party's politics has been based on casteism and appeasement and it still is," charged.

Sharpening his attack, he said Muslim appeasement has been the central part of the SP's politics and that any political scientist can vouch for it.

"He will explain to you that your party was born with the DNA of Muslim appeasement and this is the bread and butter of your entire politics," he said.

"Be it education policy, appointments or law and order issues, your governments have repeatedly ignored the rest of the society to please a particular class. This has deepened the division and distrust in the society. As chief minister, you have withdrawn 14 cases related to terrorists with your signature so that your party's Muslim appeasement DNA keeps getting nourishment. In such a situation, I can explain very well why you are so agitated by the questioning of DNA. Why are you hurt so much?" Pathak said.

The deputy chief minister also accused the SP of being anti-Dalit and alleged that during the rule of Samajwadi Party, it was repeatedly seen that the rights of Dalits were crushed, they were politically marginalised, and incidents of injustice against them increased.

Hitting back at the BJP leader, Yadav said those who have nothing to do indulge in idle talk, those who work move forward in life.

The former chief minister also appealed to people to pledge for positive politics and the formation of a PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) government committed to social justice.

“Those who are not valued in their own party, who carry the badge of failure in their ministries, waste time in sycophancy and pointless discussions. I request him to play a constructive role and speak out—even indirectly—against the alleged atrocities committed on his own community (if the community one per cent considers him as their own) under the BJP-led state government," he added.

“Be mature, soft-spoken and courteous. Don’t trust those who are not even loyal to their own,” Yadav said, in an apparent reference to the BJP leadership.

“You are not originally theirs, you came from outside and are trying to blend in by imitating them. Don’t let your political exploitation continue,” he said.

Before joining the BJP, Pathak was in the Bahujan Samaj Party.

Yadav advised Pathak to reflect on what happened to others who once considered themselves key figures in the BJP but were later sidelined.

“Today they are nowhere; tomorrow you could be in the same place,” he said.

The SP chief expressed hope that the deputy CM would work to restore “political health” within his own party, while assuring that SP would stand by him in times of crisis.

“We know that time is not far,” he said, hinting that Pathak and his community are no longer in favour with the ruling dispensation.

Yadav said this was his “final letter in this series” as he now moves on to focus on public welfare.