Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], April 22 : Samajwadi Party (SP) workers staged a protest outside the residence of Lucknow Mayor Sushma Kharkwal on Wednesday over her alleged remarks linked to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's late mother, triggering a fresh political controversy in the state capital.
The protest came amid a heated exchange between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition SP after Lucknow Mayor Sushma Kharkwal's statement was interpreted by the opposition as offensive.
Responding to the row, Mayor Sushma Kharkwal defended her remarks, saying her statement was misrepresented and that she had referred to broader comments on women and political leaders rather than any individual's mother.
"What I had said was that half our population are women, but Akhilesh ji and Rahul ji, who have a mother, a sister and a daughter, insulted the women. This country is our mother. I want to ask Akhilesh ji, where did I mention his mother in my speech? I said that he has insulted the relationship with a mother, a daughter and a sister," Kharkwal said.
Earlier on Tuesday, in a post on X, Akhilesh Yadav condemned her remarks, saying the insult of anyone's mother is never acceptable.
In his post on X, he wrote: "Respected Sushma Kharakwal Ji,...Please do not, due to your political compulsions, invoke the name of my late mother to insult another woman as a woman. I make this earnest request of you solely in the honour of womanhood. If there are any elders or children in your home, please ask them whether your utterly reprehensible, hate-filled statement is appropriate or not. Besides, you yourself are a woman. When a woman insults another woman, who will call you morally right?"
}}}}आदरणीय सुषमा खरकवाल जी,
भारतीय जनता पार्टी
मेयर, लखनऊ
आप कृपया अपनी राजनीतिक मजबूरीवश मेरी दिवंगत माँ का नाम लेकर एक महिला के रूप में एक अन्य महिला का अपमान न करें। नारी के सम्मान में आपसे बस इतना आग्रह है।
यदि आपके घर में कोई बड़े-बुजुर्ग हों या बच्चे तो उनसे पूछ लीजिए कि… pic.twitter.com/ewxpziEgsR
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) April 21, 2026
Yadav further added that the insult of anyone's mother is never acceptable and warned Kharakwal to maintain dignity and balance as well.
"In Indian society, the insult of anyone's mother is never acceptable. Your political future would have been bright if you had not dragged it down to such low moral standards; today, even your supporters are ashamed. Those you are stooping to your level to influence are not close relatives of anyone. Maintain your dignity and balance as well. I do not even expect any apology from you, nor does any meaning remain in an apology after saying such things. Whatever regret you feel sitting alone will be more than enough for us," Yadav's post read.
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