UP CM Yogi Adityanath dares Rahul to hug him, calls Gandhi's hug to PM Narendra Modi a political stunt

LUCKNOW: Dubbing Congress president Rahul Gandhi's hug to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament a mere political stunt, UP CM Yogi Adityanath dared the Congress chief to try and hug him. Disapproving of such acts, the CM said that Rahul Gandhi would think at least 10 times before making an attempt to hug him.

The CM was talking to a news channel here on Tuesday. On being asked if he would reciprocate the hug in a given situation, Yogi said: "Such political stunts are not acceptable to me at any cost." Calling Rahul Gandhi's behaviour childish, Yogi said he neither had the wisdom nor the ability to take his own decisions. "A sensible person will never do such things (hug)," observed the CM.

He said instead of hugging leaders, the Congress chief embrace the people of the country. It may be recalled that on Sunday, Congress Working Committee adopted a resolution projecting party chief Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the big battle of 2019. Even the CWC also authorised Rahul Gandhi to take decision on alliance with like-minded party to keep the BJP away from power after next elections.

Raising the leadership issue of any prospective grand alliance, the CM wondered if Akhilesh and Mayawati would accept Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate against Narendra Modi.

"Will Sharad Pawar of NCP agree to work under Rahul Gandhi?" asked CM Yogi. He asked why the opposition, so desperate to oust BJP government, was not able to announce their leader.

"Each opposition party leader is humming his/her own tune," said Yogi adding that 2019 would compel the voters to compare six decades of Congress rule with four years of Modi government. On the issue of mob lynching, the CM said it could not be allowed at any cost but he believed that even cow smuggling and slaughter would have to be stopped as well.

"Killing in the name of Gau Raksha cannot be allowed at any cost. Incidents of mob lynching are being highlighted more now. People should not take law in their hands and those who will try to take law in their hands will have to face strictest action," said CM Yogi Adityanath.

Meanwhile, he did not mince words in blaming the previous SP regime for leaving the state in a situation where lawlessness ruled the roost. On the frequently collapsing buildings, the CM called it a construction racket run by corrupts and flourishing in the previous regime.

"But now no such racket would be allowed to thrive on tax payers money," he claimed.