Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday hit out at Amit Shah for his ‘KASAB’ barb, saying the language of BJP leaders has changed as ‘KA’ actually stood for ‘kabutar’ and the people will set their pigeons free in the polls.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) leader said Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds “such a high position, but is fighting with me” and challenged him for a debate on development of Uttar Pradesh.
“If the Prime Minister wants a debate, he should not talk about other issues... I say this openly that if he [PM] wants a debate with me on development issues I am ready for it... We ask what you have done for U.P. and we will also tell what all we have done,” he said addressing an election meeting in Balrampur in support of party nominee Masood Khan contesting from Tulsipur.
Referring the latest acronym of ‘KASAB’ (for Congress, SP and BSP) given by BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday, Mr. Akhilesh said, “We used to study that it was ‘KA se kabutar’, but these people are teaching something else. This time round, people are going to set your ‘kabutar’ [pigeons] free,” he said.
“BJP people have lost the battle on the ground and so their language has changed,” he said, wondering on what course they wanted to take the elections as the SP only wanted to take it on the path of development.
Mr. Shah had made these comments while seeking to draw a parallel between the rival parties and the Mumbai-attack perpetrator Ajmal Kasab.
Stressing that it is Samajwadi Party which can take the State on the path of development and maintain communal amity and brotherhood, Mr. Akhilesh appealed to the electorate to help him win once again to form the government.
“You have already seen BJP and BSP, give us one more chance to serve you and take the State ahead on the path of development,” he said.
Attacking the Prime Minister further, he said, “Piqued are only those who are faced with defeat... Only those who are left behind talk about the past... PMji do not confuse our Uttar Pradesh... If you are the adopted son of U.P., then we belong to this place... Who is going to adopt us.”
On the foreign trips of Mr. Modi, he said, “The Prime Minister has toured so many countries, has he brought anything for the country he should tell?”
“We in U.P. have tried to emulate the policing system in the U.S. and developed U.P.-100... Now policemen cannot misbehave with the public,” he said.
On the Prime Minister’s allegations that police stations are run by SP people, Mr. Akhilesh said he does not know that it is also run through U.P.-100.
“We admit that there had been some shortcomings, but it will improve with U.P.-100 and the anomalies in the police working will be addressed,” he said.
Attacking the BJP, he said when the SP had decided to distribute laptops they called it “jhunjhuna” (toy), but later went on to include it in their manifesto.
“Why they allege that we discriminated in its distribution... You people can go out and ask whether meritorious students have not got it,” he added.