CM of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adithyanath was targeted by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, September 19, who reiterated a previous statement he made that there is barely a difference between a mafia and a mathadheesh (head of a mutt).
Akhilesh Yadav made the following statement when questioned about it: “Meri bhi tasveer dekhlo aap aur unki bhi dekhlo, mafia kon lagega yeh bata do (You can look at my photograph and his too, tell me who would be considered a mafia)” The other SP leaders in attendance laughed.
Uttar Pradesh minister Sanjay Gangwar said, “A donkey will see others as donkeys. People have seen his relationship with the likes of Atiq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari.” He proposed that Yadav’s experiences during his tenure in office have shaped his views. The minister declared, “He himself is a leader of mafias and criminals.”
Members of the Samajwadi Party used to rub their noses in front of infamous criminals and mafias. In reference to Yadav’s contentious remarks, Adityanath remarked at an event, “In their culture, they refer to religious leaders as mafias.”
Adityanath also charged the SP on Wednesday with demeaning religious leaders and caving into criminals.
“They took advantage of the young, made farmers commit suicide, made traders relocate, and they were responsible for events like the Kairana (exodus).” They forced Hindu traders to leave Kairana, the speaker said.
The Hindu community has also taken exception to Yadav’s remarks comparing mathadheesh to mafias. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), which deemed the SP chief’s remarks to be “highly condemnable and objectionable,” sharply denounced them and demanded an apology.