Jayant Chaudhary-Akhilesh Yadav war of words intensifies; UP ministers back RLD chief

Lucknow, Sep 15 (IANS) Ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the war of words between Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) President Jayant Chaudhary appears to be intensifying, with the political confrontation now taking a more personal turn.

The latest exchange followed a remark by Akhilesh Yadav, who took a swipe at Jayant Chaudhary over the RLD’s position in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Akhilesh reportedly quipped that only if the RLD wins 73 seats in the NDA would it be considered that the alliance had truly respected “Chaudhary Saheb”.

The remark did not go down well with Jayant Chaudhary, who responded sharply and warned the SP chief against making what he described as light remarks.

“The SP chief is talking lightly. If I speak out, he won’t be able to stand in UP,” Jayant Chaudhary said, escalating the ongoing political exchange between the two leaders.

The remarks have also drawn reactions from several Uttar Pradesh ministers, who came out in support of the RLD chief and criticised the SP leadership over its comments concerning the Chaudhary family.

Minister Narendra Kashyap said Jayant Chaudhary was not only a Union Minister but also a senior political leader with a prominent political legacy.

“Jayant Chaudhary is a Union Minister and a senior leader. His father served as a Union Minister, and his grandfather served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh as well as the Prime Minister of the country. Defining the party that gave the country a Prime Minister with the word ‘chavanni’ would naturally cause anger and outrage, wouldn’t it? So perhaps Jayant Chaudhary has some past experiences that could pose a threat to the Samajwadi Party. As for what that is, he himself will answer,” Kashyap said.

Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, speaking to IANS, also backed Jayant Chaudhary and said the RLD leader’s familiarity with the family and its political affairs gave him an understanding of the situation.

“What Jayant Chaudhary has said is correct because he used to visit their home frequently, so he knows the situation of the entire family,” Rajbhar said.

Minister Anil Rajbhar also criticised the remarks directed at the Chaudhary family and stressed the family’s standing in national politics.

“The Chaudhary family is a big name in national politics. Chaudhary Sahab was a great man, and every section of society respects him. Now making such statements against this family will not be tolerated, and the SP will have to face the consequences of it,” Anil Rajbhar said.

Reacting to the statement, Minister Nand Kishor Gurjar described Jayant Chaudhary as a “serious and educated” political leader and alleged that Akhilesh Yadav and other SP leaders had made derogatory remarks against leaders and various social groups.

“Akhilesh Yadav and SP leaders have made derogatory remarks about leaders and communities from various social groups. Farmers, labourers, and youth will oppose any political comments against Jayant Chaudhary. The Samajwadi Party does not respect its long-time allies in western Uttar Pradesh,” Gurjar said.

–IANS

sd/rad