Lucknow, Dec 9 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday came down heavily on Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav over his recent “Rashtravivadi” remark against the ruling BJP, branding the SP a “Namazwadi” party aligned with what he termed “anti-India” forces.

The political war of words intensified a day after Yadav accused the BJP of “trying to own everything” and “claiming exclusive nationalism”, branding the party as “Rashtravivadi (anti-national)”.

While speaking during a special session of the Lok Sabha convened to commemorate 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’, the SP chief said the national song belongs to every Indian and cannot be politicised.

Targeting the BJP, Yadav remarked, “They are not ‘Rashtravadi’ (nationalist); they are ‘Rashtravivadi’ (anti-national). Back then, the British used to divide and rule; today, also some people are accepting that path of divide and rule.”

Responding to these remarks, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, “As far as Akhilesh Yadav is concerned, my question to him is this: You say that the BJP is misrepresenting the 150-year history of Vande Mataram. During your tenure, did you withdraw cases against terrorists for vote-bank politics or not? Did your Samajwadi Party government order firing on Ram devotees or not?”

“You focus on appeasing a community and dividing society, while the BJP, under Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, works to unite society and advance the country in every field through the double-engine government at double speed,” he said.

Escalating his attack, Maurya further said in a strong retort, “The Samajwadi Party is not a ‘Samajwadi’, but a ‘Namazwadi’ party. I say this because their conduct has always aligned with anti-Hindu and anti-India forces. They even withdrew cases against terrorists. If a leader of that party makes such statements, the people of Uttar Pradesh will respond.”

Earlier, addressing the Lok Sabha, Yadav had mounted a frontal attack on the ruling BJP and said, “The ruling party in our nation wants to own everything. The things they do not have, they want to own. When the organisation was being formed, and the chairman who was chosen, there was debate on whether the BJP would go on the secular path, the socialist path or not. The chairman appointed at that time chose the secular and socialist path. On his stage, using Jaiprakash Ji’s picture, they tried to spread the idea that they would follow his footsteps.”

Calling for a deeper understanding of the national song beyond symbolism, the SP chief added, “Vande Mataram is not just to sing but to act as well. The Vande Mataram, which connected everyone in the Independence movement, today, some people are trying to break the nation; they are still trying to do so. Vande Mataram is not a political subject or something to show off, but these BJP leaders act like it’s a song made by the BJP. People who did not take part in the Independence movement — how will they know the value of Vande Mataram?”

–IANS

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