Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who is emerging as the big challenger to the BJP ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, alleged today that phones of his party leaders are being tapped and the Chief Minister "listens to the recordings every evening".
"All related to Samajwadi party are under surveillance," Mr Yadav declared at a press conference this afternoon. "Yogi Adityanath himself hears the recordings in the evening. If you are contacting us you are also under radar," he added, addressing the journalists attending the meet.
Mr Yadav, the predecessor of Yogi Adityanath in the top post, launched a sharp attack on the BJP a day after the Income Tax department conducted a series of raids on his party leaders including his private secretary Jainendra Yadav, party leader and spokesperson Rajeev Rai, and another party leader Manoj Yadav.
The raids, he said, were an indication that the BJP was going to lose the election. The Chief Minister he dismissed as "unupyogi" (useless) drawing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sobriquet "UP-yogi upyogi, meaning useful)" of yesterday.
"Can't expect anything from "unupyogi" government… The BJP can only run 'WhatsApp University'," he added.
Citing the raids, Mr Yadav said the BJP is working to a script handed down the Congress when they were the rulers.
He spoke on the same lines yesterday, saying such tactics of the BJP will increase as the elections get closer.
"Abhi to Income Tax department aaya hai, Enforcement Directorate aayega, CBI aayega (Right now, now the tax department has come... the Enforcement Directorate will come, CBI will come) but the cycle (the Samajwadi Party's poll symbol) will not stop," he had said.
Citing the issue that has been creating chaos in parliament towards the end of last week, he also questioned why junior Home Minister Ajay Mishra -- whose son is being charged in the Lakhimpur Kheri farmer killings – is not stepping down. Demands for his resignation, or sacking, have spiked after a Special Investigation Team looking into the case has said it was a "planned conspiracy".
The BJP has taken the stance that a father cannot be punished for the deeds of his son. The party has also refused to discuss the issue, saying the matter is being heard by the courts.
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