A cover to hide nervousness: Akhilesh hits back at Yogi

Describing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's comments that his Allahabad visit could have triggered violence as "a cover to hide nervousness", Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said that stopping him shows how "scared" the government is.

"I was stopped from boarding a flight to Allahabad to attend a students' union programme. I haven't been given a reason why but it seems the general impression was that I would create a law and order problem. Chief minister has given a statement to this effect but they are using this as a cover to hide their nervousness because our youth have had enough," Yadav said.

"If there was a genuine problem, the police there would have objected, or asked for a change in my schedule. I understand the need to ensure the safety of people and property and would never do something to endanger either knowingly," he added.

He said the BJP has lost Uttar Pradesh, "but more than an election, they have lost the faith that the youth of this country reposed in them".

The former UP chief minister said the BJP has betrayed the aspirations and hopes of crores of young people in their "blind pursuit" of creating a monochrome India.

"Their attack on institutions by filling them with people whose loyalties lie with an organisation that harbours people who celebrate the Mahatmas murderer, is an attack on our democracy. These are people who have taken two oaths (of government and RSS) but are only loyal to one. These are people who have never accepted or celebrated our Constitution," he said.

"This is is what I hear from the youth - We are awake. We are aware. And we will never again be fooled by rhetoric that is designed to divide and conquer," Yadav said.

"I stand with the youth of Uttar Pradesh and this country, and they stand with me. Today, I ask everyone to come forward and join hands not to win an election but to defeat, and forever stand vigilant against, an ideology that threatens to unravel the beautiful tapestry of our country," he added.

Speaking to reporters, Adityanath said Yadav's visit could have triggered violence between rival student groups at the Allahabad University. "The Allahabad University had urged the government to stop his visit and the government acted," he said.