SP to aid parties fighting for secularism: Akhilesh Yadav

Kolkata: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday claimed that the BJP was an “expert in fooling people” and said the SP would support the TMC and other parties who are fighting for secularism in the country.

He also said the Samajwadi Party would play a major role in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

“We are ready to make sacrifices to strengthen the fight for secularism. We are ready to extend our support to all those who are fighting for secularism. And for that we are extending our support to didi (Mamata Banerjee)”, he said at the eighth state conference of the SP here.

He said the country required leaders who would lead in the fight for secularism. Asked whether the SP would form a joint front with the TMC, Mr Yadav, who is to meet Banerjee later in the day, said he would make a courtesy call to her.

“The BJP is expert in telling lies. They tell lies in such a manner that people have started believing them. The BJP has lied to the people in the name of demonetisation, in the name of GST, in the name of digital India, in the name of Make in India,” he alleged.

The SP chief said the real strength lies in the hands of poor farmers and wondered what the BJP has done for them and the labourers. He claimed that the GST and demonetisation had taken away their jobs and affected the market.

Mr Yadav said in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the SP would play a major role in fighting the saffron party. “We will stop the BJP in UP,” he said.

Asked about the differences between him and his father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, he said, “We always have with us the blessings of the Netaji (Mulayam). And a father is just like God.” 

Mr Yadav on Saturday met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, fuelling speculation of a possible front against the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Yadav met Ms Banerjee at her residence here and said that his party stood behind her in the fight against communal forces. 

There is a need for all secular parties to unite against communal forces, the SP chief said. 

Earlier in the day when he was asked whether the SP would form a joint front with the TMC, Mr Yadav had said he meets Banerjee whenever he comes to the city. 

“I will ask the people to check that the BJP has bagged 46 per cent votes in places where elections were held using EVM and only 15 per cent votes where the polls were held through ballot paper,” he said. 

Mr Yadav said that the BJP had won the UP Assembly polls with two-third majority but in the civic polls it had failed to win in the same manner.

“But you (BJP) are telling the country that the entire state has been painted in the BJP’s colour,” he said.