Akhilesh says no jawan from Gujarat martyred, BJP slams remark

Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday triggered a controversy with his remark that no jawan from Gujarat had been martyred on the borders.

''Why is that we only hear about jawans from UP, Bihar, MP, South India being martyred at the borders....why no jawan from Gujarat,'' Akhilesh said in an informal chat with reporters at Jhansi.

The remark came in for sharp criticism from the BJP and the saffron leaders termed it ''shameful''.

''It seems that Akhilesh has not yet come out of the shock of defeat in the assembly polls...it is a shameful statement,'' said UP deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

Maurya said that the people of the country would give a befitting reply to the SP at the appropriate time.

Earlier also during the recent assembly polls in the state Akhilesh's comment that Gujarat government had roped in megastar Amitabh Bachchan to promote donkeys was criticised by his opponents.