Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav should apologize to the people of the country for comparing Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who worked towards uniting the nation, with Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who divided India.
"Yesterday, I was listening to Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav's statement. He was comparing Jinnah, who divided the country, with the Saradar Vallabhbhai Patel, who united the country. This is extremely shameful. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel laid the foundation of India's unity and integrity and is its creator," Adityanath said while addressing people here today.
He further made a scathing attack on Yadav saying his "divisive mindset" came to the fore once again as he tried to glorify Jinnah.
"His divisive mindset came to the fore once again when he tried to glorify Jinnah by equating Sardar Patel with him. It's Talibani mentality that believes in dividing. SP national president should apologize for this," said Adityanath.
He added, "The whole society and the state should condemn this. SP national president should ask for an apology from the people of the country. The country cannot accept the insult of the creator of India's integrity."
With months ahead of 2022 Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Chief Minister also said that the people of the state and the country will not accept such a "divisive mindset."
Notably, Yadav has previously served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 2017. While addressing a press conference last week, he asserted that his party will form the government after 2022 assembly polls.
On the occasion of the 146th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel which is celebrated as 'National Unity Day', Yadav was addressing a gathering when he remarked that Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Muhammad Ali Jinnah studied in the same institute, where they became barristers and fought for India's independence.
"Sardar Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and (Muhammad Ali) Jinnah studied in the same institute. They became barristers and fought for India's freedom... It was Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who imposed a ban on an ideology (RSS)," Yadav had said.
Sardar Patel, who died on December 15, 1950, is widely attributed for uniting the princely states of the pre-independent country to build the Republic of India.
( With inputs from ANI )
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