Akhilesh Yadav said the idea of a united opposition was inspired by the BJP-led alliance government.
Highlights
- BJP stitched alliance with CBI, Enforcement Directorate: Akhilesh Yadav
- United opposition idea inspired by BJP-led alliance government, he said
- The country will be happy to see a new prime minister in 2019, he said
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, a prominent face at Mamata Banerjee's huge political meet in Kolkata, credited the ruling BJP for the coming together of so many opposition parties. He said that idea of a united opposition was inspired by the BJP-led alliance government.
"You are running a coalition government. You have so many allies in the NDA and trying to woo more before the Lok Sabha elections. You inspired us. This is a beautiful bouquet of opposition parties here," Mr Yadav said at the "United India Rally" organised by the Trinamool Congress chief at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said that the BJP mocked the grand alliance saying "inke paas dulhe bahut hain, kaun banega pradhan mantri (they have too many grooms/contenders, who will be the prime minister)". They should know jo janta taye karegi wohi banega (the people of India will decide that), he said.
But I want to ask them, Mr Yadav added, those who failed, those who betrayed and deceived, those who conspired and spread hatred, do they have any other name (for the prime minister's role)?
"Doosra naam kaunsa hai inke paas (which other name do they have)?" the Samajwadi Party leader said.
They said the mahagathbandhan in UP will never happen... but last week the impossible happened, all because of the BJP... because we have to defeat the BJP, the UP leader said.
The Samajwadi Yadav chief's backhanded compliment, however, came loaded with his oft-repeated charge. The BJP has stitched an alliance with the CBI, Enforcement Directorate and other investigative agencies, Mr Yadav alleged.
"BJP ne CBI, ED and baki agencies ke saath bhi gathbandhan kiya hai (Not just the CBI, ED but the BJP has formed an alliance with other central investigative agencies). And they know how to use them to their benefit," Mr Yadav said.
As soon as the BJP realised that the grand alliance between Samajwadi Party and Mayawati's Bahuja Samaj Party was materialising in UP, the CBI was alerted, Mr Yadav alleged.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the illegal sand mining that took place between 2012 and 2016 in the state, will examine Akhilesh Yadav's role in the scam as he was the chief minister during this period and held the mining department for a year.
But then who will investigate the CBI, asked Mr Yadav. "So many fights happening within the CBI, so many allegations and counter-allegations... Who will probe the CBI?" the Samajwadi Party chief said referring to the top two officers trading corruption charges in an unprecedented public rift within the country's premier investigating agency last year.
The ruling BJP is leaving behind the culture (of misusing the central investigative agencies) and it should be ready to face the same in the future, Mr Yadav had warned earlier.
Akhilesh Yadav complimented West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for hosting the grand meet and hoped that it will pave the way for a damdaar opposition.
"Today, we are here in Bengal to show our strength of unity... the battle has begun from Bengal and the rest of the country will join. The country will be happy to see a new prime minister and we are confident that in the 2019 polls, India will get a new prime minister.