New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party after a delegation of its MPs and leaders attempted to visit Bareilly over the ongoing controversy related to the ‘I Love Muhammad’ slogan.

Reacting sharply, Maurya wrote in a post on X: “Sending a delegation to Bareilly is a drama and childish step by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. The SP is known for its dirty politics of Muslim appeasement. The SP’s downfall and wipeout in the 2027 Assembly elections is certain. A riot-free UP, good governance, and law and order are our identity and achievement. This is exactly what the SP supporters cannot stomach.”

The comments come hours after a delegation of Samajwadi Party leaders, including MPs Iqra Hasan, Mohibbullah Nadvi, and Ziaur Rahman Barq, left from senior leader Harendra Singh Malik’s residence en route to Bareilly. The leaders were acting under instructions from the Leader of the Opposition, Mata Prasad Pandey, to meet those affected in the recent police action in Bareilly.

However, the SP leaders were stopped by police amid heavy deployment near Bareilly.

SP MLA Ataur Rehman, part of the team, said: “We were going to Bareilly on Mata Prasad Pandey’s instructions to meet the victims of the incident so that people can get justice. But police from many stations were deployed to stop us.”

Mata Prasad Pandey added, “All the officials there, I had earlier appointed as SPs. When we meet them, we can understand the situation better. Going there ourselves is necessary to address people’s concerns.”

The visit was planned against the backdrop of controversy in Bareilly, where police reportedly detained youths over pro-Islamic slogans, leading to political and community unrest. The SP has accused the Yogi Adityanath-led government of high-handedness and targeting minorities.

Meanwhile, the administration maintains that law and order is being upheld and that any communal tension will not be tolerated.

–IANS

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