Oppn will not be intimidated: Akhilesh

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) national president on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders couldn’t intimidate the Opposition by threats and arrogance.

Akhilesh Yadav, within hours of Union home minister Amit Shah’s departure from Lucknow, tweeted in Hindi, “As if the state (Uttar Pradesh) did have enough of one ‘baba’ that now one more baba came to deliver his sermon. People will not give them any support on CAA for the way these babas have betrayed the people.”

Later Akhilesh, in a statement, said: “Samajwadi Party has an advice for the BJP leadership that they should not become shameless and should listen to the public voice. Those who go against people get swept away. The Opposition is not going to get intimidated by threats and arrogance.

The BJP is scared now of the kind of demonstrations and public anger happening nationwide. Now, BJP has resorted to public awareness marches and rallies and have put all their energies into these programmes. Yet, its Lucknow rally turned out to be a flop show, and Shah’s speech reflected his exasperation.”

CONGRESS REACTION

“We are willing to debate on CAA but why is Amit Shah backing out of it? He said his party’s UP chief would do it but we would ideally prefer Shah offering himself for debate instead. To us, this isn’t quality of a leader but then it’s so typical of present BJP leadership. Backing out of a challenge, not facing the media and dictatorial approach,” said Zishan Haidar, the UP Congress leader.

UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu questioned Amit Shah’s rally when Section 144 was in force.

“When protests by Muslim women were being termed illegal and cases registered against protestors for violation of Section 144, then how come Amit Shah’s rally was allowed? It’s clear that this government is terrified.”