Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday launched a sharp counterattack on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his recent remarks on secularism and socialism, calling such views “communal and authoritarian.”
Addressing a press conference at the SP headquarters in Lucknow, Akhilesh said: “The ideas of socialism and secularism bring people closer. Those who oppose them are inherently communal. They want to divide the society to sustain their dominance.”
His comments came in response to Adityanath’s statement that inserting the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ into the Constitution was an “assault on the soul of India.”
Rejecting this view, Akhilesh said: “Secular thinking protects the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of India. It unites people from diverse religions and strengthens our social fabric. Those who oppose socialism are authoritarian by nature — they fear losing their control.”
He added: “To be a true socialist and secular person, one must have a big heart. Heartless people always oppose such values. Those whose politics thrives on communalism will naturally resist secularism.”
Akhilesh’s remarks reflect the SP’s effort to reinforce its ideological stand amid a growing national debate on constitutional values and religious identity, especially with the BJP pushing more overtly religious narratives in public discourse.