SP president Akhilesh Yadav (PTI File Photo) SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday spoke of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the same breath as leaders who fought for India’s independence.
Praising Patel on his 146th birth anniversary, the SP leader in Hardoi: “Sardar Patel understood the ground and he made decisions accordingly. Hence, he is also known as the Iron Man. While those in power today remember Saradar Patel ji, they should also remember his struggle. His struggle for the farmers. If they are true followers of him, they should withdraw the three (farm) laws today itself… Sardar Patelji recognized the ground. He took decisions based on the ground. Hence, he was called the ‘Iron man’. Sardar Patelji, the nation’s father Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah became barristers after studying at the same institute. They studied at the same place. They became barristers, got us independence. They did not step back from any kind of struggle. There was one ideology which was resisted by Sardar Patelji. Today, the same people who claim to be uniting the country are dividing you and me on the lines of caste and religion. If we are divided, what will our country be? One feature that’s unique to our country is unity in diversity.”
State BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh targeted Akhilesh asking why he “praised Pakistan” founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah. In a tweet where he tagged a video clip of Akhilesh’s speech, Dev wrote, “On the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel, why is Akhilesh Yadav praising Jinnah?”
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