BJP's 'Flickering Lamp' Will Soon Go Out, Says Akhilesh Yadav; Welcomes SC's Kanwar Yatra Directive Stay

Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday took a swipe at the BJP over the Kanwar Yatra directives in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, saying the ruling party's lamp is flickering and it will go off soon.

Talking to the media outside Parliament, the Kannauj MP said more such steps are likely to be taken in future by the Centre and BJP-ruled states. 

Asked about the Supreme Court's interim stay on the directives by BJP-ruled UP and Uttarakhand asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of owners, Yadav welcomed the verdict and said people have already rejected communal politics.

Earlier, in a post on X in Hindi, the SP chief said, "On a new nameplate, it should be written: 'sauhaardmev jayate' (victory of harmony)."

"Communal politics has been rejected by people, and just as a lamp flickers before it goes off, they (BJP) are flickering before going out. That is why such decisions are being taken," he said.

"They will take more such steps. They have also lifted the ban that had been there for such a long time," he said, referring to the Centre's decision to allow government servants to participate in activities of the RSS. 

"They are doing this to keep communal politics alive as it is nearing its end. 

"It is a very sensitive thing. An officer on a sensitive post with their conduct inclined towards any political party or organisation...we are seeing it everyday in Uttar Pradesh where government officials are working for a political party," he said. 

Yadav also said that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre is as much responsible for the decision on the Kanwar Yatra. 

Supreme Court Orders Interim Stay On UP Govt's Kanwar Yatra Eateries 'Nameplate' Order

The Supreme Court ordered an interim stay on the directives issued by BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra routes to display the names of their owners, staff and other details, a move the opposition has claimed is intended to promote religious discrimination.

The apex court's order comes amid an escalating row over the directives, with even BJP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) joining the chorus for their withdrawal and opposition parties resolving to raise the issue in Parliament.

The Opposition has alleged that the orders were "communal and divisive" and intended to target Muslims and Scheduled Castes by forcing them to reveal their identity, but the BJP maintained that the step has been taken keeping in mind law and order issues and the religious sentiments of pilgrims.

The top court was hearing a batch of pleas including those by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, academician Apoorvanand Jha and columnist Aakar Patel, and NGO Association of Protection of Civil Rights challenging the directives.

(With PTI Inputs)