Pinarayi Vijayan, Omar Abdullah mock Yogi, claim Kerala, J&K way ahead of UP

He should be so lucky, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said, mocking the statement made by CM Yogi. Taking to Twitter, Abdullah wrote, "J&K has less poverty, better human development indices, less crime & generally better standards of living than U.P."

Hyderabad: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is facing backlash after he urged voters in UP to vote for the BJP "else it will not take long for Uttar Pradesh to become Kashmir, Kerala and Bengal." The video was shared by the state BJP on Twitter.

Reacting to Adityanath's statement, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said if UP turns into Kerala "it will enjoy the best education, health services, social welfare, living standards and have a harmonious society in which people won't be murdered in the name of religion and caste."

Later, Kerala Minister for Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs, Saji Cherian, while sharing a chart comparing the two states along several parameters, said, "There can be no greater example of self-mockery. According to various Central Government agencies, Kerala continues to be the best state in the country."

He should be so lucky, was the response of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) Vice President and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, mocking the statement made by CM Yogi. Taking to Twitter, Abdullah wrote, "J&K has less poverty, better human development indices, less crime & generally better standards of living than U.P."

The Congress party, meanwhile, accused the chief minister of insulting the spirit of India. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "From Kashmir to Kerala. From Gujarat to West Bengal. India is beautiful in all its colours. Don’t insult the spirit of India."

Earlier in the day, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also took a dig at the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government.

"UP should be so lucky!! Kashmir's beauty, Bengal's culture & Kerala's education would do wonders for the place. UP's wonderful: pity about its Govt," Tharoor tweeted in response to the statement.

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal also gave a "gentle reminder" to Yogi Adityanath and asked him to "Stop dividing our people on the basis of region & religion simply because you have zero achievements to ask votes on."

Venugopal reminded Adityanath that "Kerala is as much an integral part of India as is UP, as is J&K, as is TN, as is West Bengal, as is Rajasthan, as are all States."

CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury also lambasted Yogi over his remarks. Referring to the NITI Aayog's SDG India Index, Yechury said, "Kerala is at the topmost position of human development & UP is at the bottom most. If UP has to become like Kerala, it must defeat BJP."

"BJP failed to get even a single MLA elected in Kerala. That is the real deep rooted fear of Yogi if UP turns into Kerala. UP voters must defeat BJP to live a better life like Kerala people," he added.