‘Gun culture running in their nerves’: Yogi castigates Akhilesh Yadav over Pakistan, Jinnah remarks

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday hit out at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his recent remark that Pakistan was a “political enemy” of India and the issue was used by BJP for political gains. Without naming the former UP CM, Adityanath said that the remarks on Pakistan and Jinnah showed their mindset.

“Those who do not think Pakistan is an enemy, Jinnah seems to be a friend. What can be said about their education and vision. They call themselves Samajwadi, but the truth is that ‘tamanchawad’ is in their blood,” he tweeted.

Last year, Yadav came under heavy fire of the BJP top brass after he invoked Muslim League leader and Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah claiming that he studied with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the same institution to become barrister and fought for India’s freedom. 

“Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Jinnah studied at the same institute and became barristers. They became barristers and they fought for India’s freedom. They never backed away from any struggle,” Yadav had said at an event in UP’s Hardoi in October last year. 

The heat over remarks on Jinnah was yet to subdue before Yadav, speaking with Economic Times on Sunday, said that India’s real enemy was China and Pakistan was only country’s “political enemy”. “Our real enemy is China. Pakistan is our political enemy. But BJP only targets Pakistan because of their vote politics,” the SP chief was quoted by Economic Times as saying.

The BJP was quick to hit back at Yadav and asked him to express remorse and apologise for the comment. “His comment that Pakistan is not a real enemy and BJP is making Pakistan as an enemy… I will clearly say “(Muhammad Ali) Jinnah se jo kare pyaar, wo Pakistan se kaise kare inkaar,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters in Lucknow.