Samajwadi Party sympathises with terrorists: UP CM

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday accused the Samajwadi Party of being sympathetic towards terrorists, alleging that the father of one of the convicts in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blast case has links with the party. The chief minister made the allegation while addressing an election rally here in Lakhimpur Kehri which goes to the polls on fourth phase of the seven-phase state assembly elections.

''Why does the SP have sympathy towards these terrorists? Will the people support those who play with the security of the Nation?'' the chief minister asked while urging people to vote for the BJP to let the state stay riot free.

Adityanath posted the twin query while referring to Ahmedabad's anti-terror court ruling in the 2008 serial blasts in the city and saying that one of the convicts in the terror case belonged to the Sanjarpur area of Azamgarh district.

''The court delivered a historic judgement and gave death sentence to 38 convicts. One of the terrorists belonged to Azamgarh's Sanjarpur area,'' Adityanath told the rally.

The father of one of the terrorists has links with the Samajwadi Party and he has been campaigning for the SP, the chief minister further alleged amid the ongoing voting for the third phase of elections on 59 assembly seats elsewhere in the state.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, Union minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday had released a photograph purportedly showing the father of one of the convicts in the Ahmedabad blasts standing with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and had alleged that the Party has ''connections'' with the Ahmedabad blasts perpetrators.

During the Samajwadi Party government, only Saifai (Akhilesh Yadav's native place) Mahotsav was being held. ''The organisers did not know the significance of Mahotsav as there was no language in this Mahotsav nor any feeling. The BJP government organised Deepotsav in Ayodhya, Rangotsav in Mathura and Dev Deepawali in Kashi. And our faith is linked to these (events),'' he said.

Adityanath also attacked Akhilesh Yadav over "false" propaganda on COVID vaccine and said the BJP's MPs, MLAs and party workers had helped the people during the pandemic.