In more political fireworks ahead of Dussehra, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav backed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s controversial ‘khoon ki dalali’ barb against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of India’s surgical strikes against Pakistani terrorists last month.
He also took a dig at Modi for attending the Dussehra festivities, saying “had there been elections in Bihar, he would have slayed Ravan there”.
“It’s not a question of Congress but I have good relations with Rahul Gandhi. If he has said something he must have given it much thought. He must have some information about it,” Akhilesh said when asked about Rahul’s “dalali” remarks on PM.
The Samajwadi Party leader said that he had visited the families of martyred soldiers and helped them.
“Ultimately, the poor lost their lives, the farmers are dying, their sons are dying, so what do they know about surgical strike? The question is if you and I have good ties but the relations on border are strained, the country and the world are unable to understand this,” he said.
Rahul’s remarks that the Modi government was “profiteering” (doing dalali) from the blood spilt by the soldiers had drawn criticism from the BJP which accused him of insulting the armed forces. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and NCP too had disapproved of Rahul’s remarks.
While addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh on October 6, Rahul had said,“Jo hamare jawan hai, jinhone apna khoon diya hai Jammu-Kashmir main jinhone Hindustan ke liye surgical strike kiya hai, unke khoon ke peeche aap chupe hue ho. Unki aap dalali kar rahe ho. Yeh bilkul galat hai (Our soldiers who have shed their blood in Jammu and Kashmir, who have conducted the surgical strikes, you are hiding behind their blood. You are cashing in on their sacrifice, that’s wrong).”
Rahul’s statements had come just days after he had praised PM Narendra Modi for the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian Army. The Indian Army on September 29 had conducted surgical strikes along the Line of Control destroying terror launchpads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
