Yogi Counterattack: CM Yogi Hits Back at Akhilesh Over His Uttarakhand Remark

A political face-off has intensified between Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over remarks about people from Uttarakhand and Akhilesh's planned visit to Ayodhya. Responding to Akhilesh's October 23 remark describing people from Uttarakhand as the biggest “intruders” in Uttar Pradesh, Yogi accused him of insulting the people of the hill state. He pointed out that Uttar Pradesh's first Chief Minister was also from Uttarakhand and invoked the state's cultural and religious significance, including the origin of the Ganga. The political battle has now shifted to Akhilesh's planned December 12 visit to Ayodhya. A new poster outside the Samajwadi Party office gives PDA a fresh meaning: “Pehle Darshan, Phir Aashirwad” (First Darshan, Then Blessings). Akhilesh has said that people of all faiths should be free to visit places of worship and mentioned plans to visit Kedarnath and Mathura-Vrindavan as well. While SP leaders accuse the BJP of being worried about his Ayodhya visit, BJP minister Dayashankar Singh criticises the SP's record on Ayodhya. Swami Ramdev has advised Akhilesh to take Rahul Gandhi along, while some Ayodhya saints have demanded an apology over the firing on kar sevaks during Mulayam Singh Yadav's tenure.