BJP people don't understand socialism, they need to read again: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Saturday mocked the BJP, saying its leaders don't understand the concept of socialism and added that next time he visits the assembly he would carry a book on democracy, socialism and secularism for their benefit.

Lucknow:Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Saturday mocked the BJP, saying its leaders don't understand the concept of socialism and added that next time he visits the assembly he would carry a book on democracy, socialism and secularism for their benefit. His attack came a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused him of "dumping" socialism and praised the SP chief's uncle Shivpal Yadav, crediting him for "keeping alive" the ideals of towering socialist leader Rammanohar Lohia.

Asked about the chief minister's praise for Shivpal, Akhilesh told reporters on Saturday, "That is why I tell BJP people to read again about democracy, socialism and secularism. "Next time I go to the House, I will bring a book for these people who are unable to understand socialism," he told the media. This prompted a sharp reaction from Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak who said the Samajwadi Party has earned a "bad name" for itself because of its "misdeeds". "These people will go to the rasatal (political abyss)," he said.

Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the governor's address to the joint sitting of the state legislature, Adityanath had told Akhilesh on Friday, "However much you may talk of socialism, the fact is you have reduced socialism to a mirage. Whenever there is a talk about socialism, Dr (Rammanohar) Lohia and Jayprakash Narayan are discussed." "Nowadays, occasionally I see Sahivpalji's writing on Dr Lohia. You need to read about Dr Lohia."

The SP chief had responded by saying, "Till now, he was my uncle, but now the Leader of the House is also calling him 'chacha' (uncle)." While speaking to reporters outside the assembly on Saturday, Akhilesh also talked about the Adityanath government's budget. "This government is playing with statistics. Development does not take place on (the basis of) statistics. The real development is when things actually change on the ground," he said.

Reacting to this, Pathak said, "The Samajwadi Party has earned a bad name because of its misdeeds, and these people will go to the abyss. People have understood this party. They have no policy, and have been proved to be a big flop. People have rejected them." The deputy chief minister added Uttar Pradesh is moving ahead with pace, and soon it will be the number one state in the country in terms of economy and infrastructure. Shivpal Yadav, the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president, had contested recent state polls on the SP's bicycle symbol, but has been distancing himself from the opposition camp and showing increasingly greater proximity with the BJP post elections in the state. (PTI)