Hamirpur (UP): Lashing out at the BJP, Samajwadi Party (SP)president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday said the saffron party would never act against the Union minister whose son has been arrested in connection with the Lakhimpur killings as it "stands with criminals", who are the happiest under the current regime. In an indirect reference to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he used the term "chillumjeevi". "Chillum" is a smoking pipe often used by "sadhus".
On his "Vijay Rath Yatra" here, Yadav said Adityanath has a liking for two things –the bull and the bulldozer –but the people of Bundelkhand have decided that the steering of the bulldozer, which is in their hands, will be snatched from him in next year's Assembly election.
"They will run the bulldozer of votes on the BJP in the coming polls," he said.
Yadav was apparently referring to the stray cattle menace in Uttar Pradesh and the government's drive to raze buildings, the plans for many of which were not approved, in various parts of the state.
"The BJP will never act against the (Union) minister because it stands with criminals. If criminals are the happiest anywhere, it is under the BJP government," he said, replying to questions from reporters on the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.
Eight people, including four farmers and a journalist, were killed in the October 3 violence that erupted during a farmers' protest in Lakhimpur Kheri. Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra's son Ashish Mishra is among those arrested in connection with the incident.
Without taking any names, Yadav said the "chillumjeevi" is out to distribute tablet computers among students now and wondered why such an initiative was not taken in the last over four years. He warned the people against the "chillumjeevi" and asked them if they had understood who was he referring to.