New Delhi, March 6 Congress leader Udit Raj on Thursday claimed that Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav was not wrong in extending support to its Maharashtra MLC Abu Azmi.
The Congress leader made the remark while speaking to IANS on various issues including Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), India's foreign policy, Article 370, and Bihar politics.
Substantiating Akhilesh Yadav's support to Abu Azmi who glorified Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, Udit Raj claimed that in the Peshwa Empire, the plight of Dalits and women was miserable.
Claiming that Muslims used to fight for Chhatrapati Shivaji and Hindus used to fight for emperor Aurangzeb, he said singling out any ruler of a specific community is not right.
Dwelling on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's recent statement in London that Pakistan will have to return PoK and revocation of Article 370 was the first step in that direction, Udit Raj said that the leader's remark was not completely right.
Denying the positive changes in Jammu and Kashmir, he said: "When Article 370 was revoked, it was said that the move would break the backbone of terrorism and attract investment in Jammu and Kashmir leading to its development. However, nothing happened."
Dwelling on the border dispute between India and China over Aksai Chin, Udit Raj further said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah used to say will 'sacrifice life for Aksai Chin'. But nothing happened and China developed roads on it."
Claiming that the country's international diplomacy has failed, Udit Raj said: "In Canada and Scotland, our ambassadors were attacked. A gangster in Sabarmati jail is conversing with people in Pakistan. Now, Khalistani extremists breached security and tried to attack Jaishankar."
Blaming the BJP for the JD(U)'s reducing strength in the House, the Congress leader said: "The JD(U) earlier had 120 seats in the Legislative Assembly but this number now has been slashed to 45."
Claiming that the BJP strengthened the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and weakened JD(U), he said that the Nitish Kumar-led party will soon meet the same fate as the Akali Dal in Punjab.
Dwelling on reports that the new Delhi government has fixed the criteria that women who have an annual income of less than Rs 3 lakh will get the benefits of the Mahila Samriddhi Scheme, Udit Raj said the BJP had promised to provide the financial aid on March 8.
He said: "We will adopt a wait-and-watch approach on the government's move till March 8."
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