NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav stepped up his attack on the ruling BJP over the EVM issue and linked it to the recent Sambhal riot, claiming the clashes were “induced” to “deviate” people.
“The way they (BJP) have won elections by putting pressure on officials and hence they have induced this riot (in Sambhal) to deviate people,” Akhilesh Yadav told news agency ANI.
He also lashed out at the CM Yogi Adityanath-led UP government which has released the photos of rioters seen involved during the clashes.
“If the government is releasing pictures, they should issue the pictures of those BJP supporters who were there during the survey and raised slogans… BJP doesn’t run based on Samvidhaan but ‘Man Vidhaan’,” the SP chief said.
He claimed that if EVMs go through forensic investigation it would be found that “only one person has cast many votes”.
Akhilesh Yadav said in the “conflict between Lucknow and Delhi – the brotherhood of Uttar Pradesh is getting destroyed”.
“They use machinery to get votes. If a forensic investigation of EVMs is done, if there is any such investigation, you’ll get to know that only one person has cast many votes… This conflict is between Lucknow and Delhi. Those who are in Lucknow want to go to Delhi and in the conflict between Lucknow and Delhi – the brotherhood of Uttar Pradesh is getting destroyed,” he added.
The clashes on Sunday between protesters opposing the survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid and the police left three people dead and several others, including security personnel and officials, injured. A fourth injured person succumbed to injuries on Monday.
Tension in the area has been rising since November 19, when the Jama Masjid was first surveyed on court orders following a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site.