‘SP says P for pichhda, and then P for pandit… May soon say P for Pakistan’: Yogi’s PDA jibe

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The CM attacked SP president Akhilesh Yadav for not personally paying tribute to Kalyan Singh. He contrasted this with BSP chief Mayawati, who, he said, had visited to pay her respects. (file)Taking a swipe at the Samajwadi Party’s PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) outreach, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said the party kept changing the meaning of “P” in its political formulation and would one day make it stand for “Pakistan”.Adityanath was speaking at an event in Lucknow to mark the death anniversary of former UP CM and BJP leader Kalyan Singh.“How do the people of a party that changes colours like a chameleon define PDA? At one point, their ‘P’ stood for pichhda (backward classes), then it became pandit. Just wait and see, one day these people will change the ‘P’ to Pakistan,” Adityanath said, adding that the SP’s statements were unpredictable and could not be trusted .The CM attacked SP president Akhilesh Yadav for not personally paying tribute to Kalyan Singh. He contrasted this with BSP chief Mayawati, who, he said, had visited to pay her respects.“The most distressing thing was that while Mayawati came and paid tribute to Babuji Kalyan Singh as a matter of courtesy and values, the SP chief neither came personally to pay homage nor expressed even a few words in his memory.It was an insult to every Hindu who believes that Babuji dedicated his life to Sanatan values and Hindu pride,” the CM said.Speaking about Kalyan Singh’s political legacy and his contribution to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the chief minister said, recalling his decision to support the movement despite the political consequences.Story continues below this ad“During the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, he clearly stated that struggle was acceptable, losing power was acceptable, but insulting Lord Shri Ram was not.”He said Kalyan Singh had supported the movement led by saints and associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Vishva Hindu Parishad, and refused to allow firing on Ram devotees. Yogi further said Kalyan Singh’s role in safeguarding “Sanatan values” had paved the way for the construction of the Ram temple by ending the “structure of slavery” at the Janmabhoomi site.Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and other BJP leaders were present at the event.