‘Padyatra is BJP’s Opposition rehearsal’: Akhilesh Yadav targets Adityanath

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday took a swipe at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, calling his ‘Jan Aakrosh Mahila Padyatra’ “practice” for the BJP to sit in the Opposition.

Addressing a press conference, Yadav said, “This ‘padyatra’ was practice. It shows they will have to agitate like this when they sit in the Opposition. This is the first government which, while in power, is practising how to function as the Opposition.”

The march, held earlier in the day, began from the CM’s official residence on Kalidas Marg and culminated at the Uttar Pradesh assembly, in protest against the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill aimed at implementing women’s reservation and increasing Lok Sabha seats.

Taking a broader dig, Yadav said it was unprecedented for a ruling party to struggle for legislation it had itself introduced. “Perhaps in history no government has fought so much for its own law. This is unprecedented,” he remarked.

Projecting his party’s strategy for upcoming elections, the SP chief invoked the “PDA” (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) plank, asserting it would pose a decisive challenge to the BJP. “For the first time, one social bloc — the PDA family — will come together and defeat them,” he said, adding that the alliance aims to establish a government based on social justice.

Calling the defeat of the women’s reservation bill a “historic democratic victory”, Yadav thanked voters and leaders of the opposition INDIA bloc. “This is not just a democratic victory but also a defeat of the BJP,” he said.

Reiterating his party’s support for women’s reservation, he accused the BJP of attempting to stall it. “Samajwadis have always supported reservation for women… If anyone is trying to stop it, it is the BJP,” he said.

Yadav also alleged that the ruling party was avoiding a caste census out of fear that it would trigger demands for rights and reservations. Drawing a sharp comparison, he accused the BJP of relying on propaganda to mislead people, adding, “The people have understood the truth.”

Expressing confidence about the future, he said the Opposition would not only defeat the BJP but ensure it is “removed for good”. He also welcomed new entrants into the Samajwadi Party during the press meet.

With PTI inputs