'Akhilesh like Mughal emperors who oppressed their kin for power': BJP's Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua'

LUCKNOW: Newly elected BJP MP from Azamgarh Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahua' on Sunday likened the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav with the Mughal emperors, who he said oppressed their kin for the sake of power.

The actor-politician also called the Samajwadi Party (SP) a "samapatwadi" (vanishing) party due to its crumbling Muslim-Yadav vote bank.

He said due to a new awakening among the Muslim and Yadav voters after 2014, the SP that used to claim "monopoly" over their vote is losing elections after elections.

Nirahua, who had lost to Akhilesh Yadav in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Azamgarh, won the bypolls held for the seat last month.

He defeated SP candidate Dharmendra Yadav in the opposition party's bastion.

The MP said the SP chief had smelt defeat in the byelections due to which he did not field his wife Dimple Yadav and instead nominated cousin Dharmendra Yadav to harm political career of the leader, who is more dynamic than him.

In an interview with the PTI, the new BJP MP called Yadav "small-hearted", who even did not spare his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav in the "greed for power as done by Mughal emperors".

"He is a small-hearted man who can't see anybody else progress. He wants the chair at any cost. He could have made Shivpal Yadav the leader of the opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and retained his Azamgarh Parliamentary seat," the MP said.

"He did not do this fearing that his uncle may surpass him in politics," Nirahua said.

The BJP leader claimed that the time-tested "MY" (Muslim-Yadav) vote bank of the SP is crumbling, resulting in its defeat in the elections.

"Reawakened Muslim and Yadav voters after 2014 have shattered the hope of the SP, which used to claim monopoly over them. The SP is turning out to be a 'Samaptwadi Party' losing poll after poll," Nirahua said mockingly.

Further attacking the SP chief, he said, "Like Mughal emperors who used to oppress their brothers and kin for the sake of power, Akhilesh is doing the same. The things he did with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and uncle Shivpal Yadav are for everybody to see."

He said the SP should stop thinking that Muslims and Yadavs are their "bonded labourers" as in every election it's losing grip over the two electorally dominant sections, which helped it win polls earlier.

The actor-politician's comment is not off the cuff.

The results of the Azamgarh and Rampur byelections have shown that the "MY" winning formula of the SP is no longer helping it.

SP's Muslim face Azam Khan's supporters have on several occasions vented their anger against Akhilesh Yadav for ignoring the interest of the minority community.

Nirahua said, "Muslim and Yadav voters have realised as who in reality promotes their welfare and who was using them for their own interest."

A popular Bhojpuri film actor and singer, Nirahua said he would work hard to show himself a "better MP" as he has seen poverty and helplessness of deprived sections of society from close.

He said in present time, 99 per cent of the Bhojpuri films are being made in Uttar Pradesh.

"I will try to make an arrangement that not only Bhojpuri films are shot in Azamgarh but other aspects of the film-making are also possible in the district. This will promote local artists and also generate jobs for the people," he said.