SP, BSP flay PM for politics amid Indo-Pak tension

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Thursday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for going ahead with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to party workers through a mega videoconference amid escalating tension with Pakistan.

The PM on Thursday interacted with over 1 crore BJP workers and volunteers across the country in what the BJP claimed to be the world’s largest video conference. In a series of tweets in Hindi and English, Akhilesh called the BJP move as unfortunate while Mayawati said it was “ridiculous and betrayal of national sentiments”.

Criticising PM Modi’s video conferencing interactions with BJP workers, Akhilesh said: “Today, when the entire country is rising above politics and standing as one, the BJP is busy making a record of contacting maximum number of booth workers. Now, even the BJP supporters are ashamed of all this. BJP’s celebration will continue howsoever bad the circumstance might be.” Citing a newspaper headline that quoted BJP leader BS Yeddyurappa as saying that the airstrike would help BJP win 22 of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, Akhilesh said: “When the entire country is praying for the safe return of our pilot, BJP leaders are busy thinking how to make electoral gains out of it.”

In another tweet, Akhilesh said: “Even when our pilot is missing, everything — even national security — is seen through the lens of public relations and votes. The BJP only knows the politics of distraction, lies, branding and marketing. Those who worship power will only be consumed by it.”

BSP chief Mayawati termed Modi’s action “ridiculous” and said it showed a “betrayal of national sentiments”.

Attacking the PM, she tweeted: “At a time when the country is facing hostility of war and country needs firm leadership, instead of concentrating on the matter of national security, the PM is trying to serve political interest by addressing BJP workers.” “India should try to do its best to ensure safe return of pilot ,” she added.