With the Opposition parties condemning the disqualification of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi from the Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said the Congress should back regional parties in their fight against the BJP.
“All the parties fighting against the BJP across the country should come together, and the Congress party should decide its role at the national level. It should support other political parties fighting strongly against the BJP in their regions. Samay aa gaya hai ki Congress kshteriya dalon ko aage karen (The time has come for the Congress to bring regional parties to the forefront) and support them in their pursuit to defeat the BJP,” SP chief said in a statement, adding that the regional parties will play a big role in 2024 Lok Sabha elections in a bid to defeat the BJP.
He further said that his party always acted responsibly on the national political front and would continue doing so in the future.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Delhi, Rahul when asked about the Opposition unity replied: “Hum sab milke kaam karenge (We will all work together).” After the Lok Sabha Secretariat on Friday disqualified Rahul Gandhi as an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala in the wake of a Surat court sentencing the Congress leader to two years in jail in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark, Akhilesh had tweeted: “By disqualifying someone from Parliament won’t end the political challenge. The biggest movement is not fought in Parliament but on the streets.”
Akhilesh’s latest remarks hold importance in the backdrop of various regional parties trying to come together against the BJP but appearing reluctant to accept the Congress as the leader of their anti-BJP front. “The SP is fighting with the BJP at every level in UP and it will defeat the ruling party in the Lok Sabha elections,” Akhilesh asserted on Sunday indicating that the Congress should back the party in UP.
Targeting the BJP-ruled Centre, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that it was using government agencies to muzzle the Opposition parties.
On BJP leaders’ allegations that Congress insulted the OBCs, Akhilesh asked, “Wasn’t that insult of backwards when they washed the chief minister’s residence with Gangajal (in Lucknow in 2017)”, and accused the BJP of insulting the OBCs most.
Earlier this month, the SP said it would contest elections with existing allies like RLD and there would be no alliance with bigger parties like the Congress and BSP. Recently, Akhilesh had dropped a hint to field an SP candidate in Amethi.