Never compared Modi with Gandhiji or Lohiaji, says Aparna Yadav
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav was in the eye of the storm for reportedly praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his Swachh Bharat campaign. This is because Modi is considered an anathema of sorts for the SP and Mulayam.
While praising the campaign, she had reportedly said that it was a good initiative but it must have a proper module for implementation.
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Aparna, who is married to the SP chief’s younger son Prateek Yadav, said: “At the event where I spoke about cleanliness, I never compared Modi with Gandhiji or Lohiaji (Mahatama Gandhi and Samajwadi Party ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia). I was speaking about leading a simple life. The topic at the seminar was ‘society, state law and we the people’. I just don’t understand the co-relation between the PM and the Father of the Nation.”
She went on to add: “My praise for Modi was sincere and there was nothing deliberate about it. The praise was work specific. But my praise of the Samajwadi Party went unnoticed by the press. I don’t know why the media did this.”
In reply to a question on her association with the SP and her political ambition, Aparna who refers to Mulayam as ‘Pitaji’ while most call him Netaji, said: “Neither Prateek nor I are members of the party. Once, when there was too much speculation about Prateek contesting Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat, then Pitaji (Mulayam) had asked him to take up the party’s membership. Pitaji had said that was the proper way. But Prateek had declined it. I too followed in Prateek’s footsteps in this aspect. So far as political ambitions are concerned, my only ambition is to serve the nation in whichever capacity I can.”
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, Prateek Yadav had said that he was not interested in politics, but that he thought that people like Aparna should find a place in politics.
Aparna said that she had studies politics in the UK, but studying politics and political ambitions were two different things.
Expressing disgust at a section of the media twisting her statements and portraying her as a rebel, she said that no one in the family had questioned her over her remarks. “Everyone in the family has been blessed by Pitaji for speaking his/her own mind,” she revealed.
She rubbished any talk of rift in the Yadav family. “We are one big, joint family full of love. You may ask other family members also about the media- imagined rift,” she said.
When
MY PRAISE FOR MODI WAS SINCERE AND THERE WAS NOTHING DELIBERATE ABOUT IT. THE PRAISE WAS WORK SPECIFIC APARNA YADAV
asked about speculation on her contesting elections on an SP ticket, even for the Rajya Sabha, and feeling disappointed at not being given such an opportunity, she replied: “I don’t know where these speculations come from. Do people even know that I am not eligible for the Rajya Sabha as I am underage. And I have never been asked for Lok Sabha. My family loves me and cares for me. Therefore, there are no negative feelings.”
Queried about her mentioning that UP had a poor crime record, especially with regard to crime against women, Aparna said: “I have always been saying that honorable CM ‘bhaiyaji’ is working day and night to improve the law and order situation in UP. The best of schemes are launched in such a short time by the SP government. But no one can deny the crime record as they are the NCRB (national crime record bureau) stastics”. Aparna works for an NGO ‘Harsh’ as its brand ambassador.
She added: “I am happy to work for women rights. Women rights and gender, feminism, human rights have been my forte.”