Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring to remove three crore voters from the electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking in Hyderabad, he claimed that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was being used as a cover to suppress votes where the BJP previously faced defeats.
Akhilesh Yadav compared SIR to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), saying, “This is not SIR. This is NRC under the guise of SIR,” alleging that citizens were being asked for documents typically required under NRC, while Aadhaar was being rejected in the process. He warned that the exercise was causing anxiety among the people.
He criticised the BJP for troubling citizens with prior measures like demonetisation and GST, adding that SIR was the latest tool creating unnecessary public distress. “People’s patience is being tested repeatedly,” he remarked, urging political focus on constructive governance rather than divisive policies.
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During his visit to Telangana, Akhilesh Yadav met Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders, including Working President K.T. Rama Rao, emphasizing that parties aligned with public welfare inevitably receive voter support. He expressed optimism that political tides could change and underscored the need for positive, progress-focused politics.
Akhilesh also called on Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, lauding his recognition of Sadar, a major Yadav community festival, as a state government festival. He appreciated the political acknowledgment of the Yadav community and praised the welfare and development initiatives undertaken by the Telangana government.
The meetings were attended by senior leaders, including Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Yadav, former MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, Ramagundam MLA Raj Thakur, and Congress leader Rohin Reddy. Akhilesh reaffirmed his friendship with Telangana leaders while highlighting the SP’s continued focus on people-centric politics in Uttar Pradesh.
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