Lucknow, Mar 18 (PTI) Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of endangering religious sites and fostering communal tensions.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an Iftar party in Lucknow on Monday night, he alleged that the BJP was creating conflicts around all religious places to divert attention from "real issues" such as law and order, unemployment, and economic distress.

"Slowly, not just mosques but all religious sites will be under threat due to the BJP's conduct. Even our Kedareswar Temple (in Etawah) has become a problem for them," Yadav claimed.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister asserted that the BJP had objections to temple construction by others. "If we build a temple with support from our people, even that troubles the BJP." On the controversy in Maharashtra over Mughal ruler Aurangzeb's grave, Yadav urged the BJP to focus on historical figures who promoted harmony rather than fostering divisions.

"The BJP should turn the pages of history. Swami Vivekananda, a philosopher and scholar, spoke about India's cultural ethos. The new generation still reveres his Chicago speech, which emphasised universal acceptance of all religions. If BJP leaders truly respect Vivekananda, they should learn from his words about religious tolerance and inclusion," he said.

The SP leader also reminded the BJP of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's legacy. "The BJP should tell people about the history of his coronation." Asked about the denial of permission for the Neja Mela in Sambhal, Yadav accused the BJP of opposing events that promote religious unity.

"The BJP is against our shared culture, against brotherhood, and mutual respect. If they can praise the Kumbh Mela, why can't they appreciate other fairs that bring people together? Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Christian communities have coexisted for centuries, but the BJP finds this harmony intolerable," he said.

Yadav also criticised and said journalism should not favour the ruling party.

"There is no investment coming to Uttar Pradesh, but a lot of investment is happening in news channels. I request the media to help us protect the nation's culture … Why hasn't Lucknow Metro expanded? Why is the Gomti River still polluted?" he asked.

"Our government had launched the Ganga Action Plan, which significantly improved the Gomti River. The BJP government has completely ruined that effort," he alleged.

Criticising the state government's response to the Kumbh Mela, Yadav mocked the administration as a "Tees Maar Khan" (exaggerated bravado).

"They claim to have managed the Kumbh efficiently, but how many people died there? How much money did boatmen earn? How much public money was spent? They should answer these questions," he said.

Even a month after the Mela, nearly 1,000 people were still missing, with their families putting up posters at police stations, railway stations, and bus stands in Prayagraj, he said.

The SP leader also took exception to the scrapping of Anglo-Indian representation in Parliament, as well as the law in Uttarakhand that bars people from other states from purchasing land there.

"They are passing such laws in a state that was carved out of Uttar Pradesh," he said.

Yadav revisited the 2016 demonetisation, arguing that it led to a surge in corruption rather than curbing black money, as it ostensibly intended to.

When asked about law and order in Sambhal, Yadav turned the focus to violence elsewhere in the state.

"A DSP's house and car were burned down in Bareilly. Why is the media not questioning that? In Shahjahanpur, policemen were chased and beaten. In Unnao, a young man was killed by the police. In Sitapur, a journalist was shot. But these questions are not being asked," he said.

"There is zero law and order in UP. People are carrying weapons and killing people. See the situation in Gorakhpur, Deoria, and Kushinagar – areas close to the CM's constituency. Even hospitals are in such poor condition that they hide their failures behind curtains," he alleged.

He dismissed the Aurangzeb controversy as a deliberate distraction.

"First, I was called Aurangzeb. I remember when CM Yogi saw me with a symbolic sword and commented on it. The truth is, someone gifted me a small golden sword. A journalist who reported on it later admitted that he was instructed from Delhi to frame me as 'Aurangzeb'. He even confessed that he was paid to write that story," Yadav claimed. PTI KIS VN VN

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Akhilesh slams BJP over religious controversies, Aurangzeb row

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