Posters targeting Akhilesh, Mulayam trigger political row in UP; SP blames BJP, Rajbhar defends display

Lucknow, Jul 14 (PTI) Posters targeting Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and party chief Akhilesh Yadav appeared at several places in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, triggering a political controversy with the party accusing the BJP and allies of trying to inflame communal sentiments. State Minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, however, defended the posters and said they were "appropriate". The posters, which were put up in Lucknow, Mathura, Gorakhpur, Sitapur and Barabanki, among other places, depicted Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav with caps that are typically associated with the Muslim community. They also carried the slogan, "Dil mein Babar, munh mein Ram" (Babar in the heart, Ram on the lips). The identity of those who put up the posters was not immediately known. The development comes amid an ongoing political slugfest over the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donation funds in Ayodhya, an issue repeatedly raised by the opposition in recent weeks. In Sitapur, the posters surfaced near the highway and Kanshiram Colony on the bypass, prompting SP workers to remove them. Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Anand Bhadauria personally removed one of the hoardings with the party workers and termed the incident "an act of cowardice". "This is the second time such hoardings have appeared. I firmly believe the BJP is behind this. Wherever such posters are found, they should be torn down and burnt," Bhadauria said. In Mathura, SP district president Virendra Yadav alleged that "anti-social elements" had tried to disturb communal harmony by putting up objectionable hoardings. "The BJP is so rattled that it has no option except to indulge in Hindu-Muslim politics and inflame religious sentiments. They have been completely exposed in the Ram temple donation case," Yadav alleged. He appealed to party workers and the public to maintain peace and demanded that the district administration identify those responsible through CCTV footage and initiate stringent legal action. Senior SP leader Pradeep Chaudhary said the party would lodge an FIR. "We will examine the CCTV footage and identify those involved in this mischief. This is a conspiracy to disturb peace and harmony," he told PTI. Another senior SP leader, Ashok Agrawal, alleged that the posters were an attempt to divert attention from the alleged irregularities in Ram temple donations being probed. "Akhilesh Yadav is a deeply religious person. Voters are aware now and cannot be misled," he said. Congress leader Pradeep Mathur also demanded an inquiry, alleging that such issues were being raised because the BJP and the RSS had been "exposed" in the Ram temple donation controversy. In Barabanki, SP workers tore down similar hoardings after they appeared at a prominent intersection in the city. SP leader Taj Baba Rain described the incident as a conspiracy to tarnish the party's image and disturb social harmony. Kotwali police station in-charge Sudhir Singh said the hoardings had been seized and an investigation launched. "CCTV footage is being examined. An FIR will be registered after receiving a complaint, and action will be taken against those responsible," he said. Gorakhpur saw protests by SP workers after unidentified persons put up similar controversial posters at several prominent intersections, including University Chauraha, Padleganj, Kudaghat and Mohaddipur. The posters carried photographs of Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav along with provocative slogans linked to the Ram temple movement and kar sevaks. Avinash Tiwari, district president of the Mulayam Singh Youth Brigade, alleged that the posters were intended to malign the party's image. He claimed that despite informing the local administration, no action was taken to remove the hoardings, following which party workers themselves tore the posters down. Tiwari linked the episode to the recent arrest of SP leader Arvind Shukla, alleging that the posters were put up by supporters of the ruling party in retaliation after Shukla had raised questions over the alleged Ram temple donation embezzlement through a social media post. Launching a sharp attack on the BJP, Tiwari said such posters would not diminish public support for Akhilesh Yadav and urged the ruling party to focus on development issues instead. Police said those responsible for putting up the posters in Gorakhpur had not yet been identified and efforts were underway to ascertain their identity. Responding to the controversy, Uttar Pradesh Minister Rajbhar defended the posters. "The posters are appropriate. If you look at the parliamentary proceedings after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Ram Gopal Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav repeatedly said they took responsibility for ordering firing on kar sevaks. They had also said that even if Hindus did not vote for them, they would stand for the protection of Muslims. These posters are a response to those statements," Rajbhar told PTI Videos. SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma, however, accused the BJP of reviving the Babri Masjid issue to divert attention from public concerns. "The BJP and its associates repeatedly rake up the Babri Masjid issue to polarise society and distract people from unemployment, inflation, paper leaks and rising petrol and diesel prices. If people start focusing on these issues, the BJP will collapse politically. The issues of 1992 have no relevance today," Verma told PTI Videos. Police officials in the districts concerned said they were examining CCTV footage and would take legal action once those responsible for putting up the posters were identified. Earlier on July 12, a political row erupted after a controversial poster put up by the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Gorakhpur district over alleged embezzlement of donations at the Ayodhya Ram temple led to the arrest of three persons, including a party leader. Police then sent local SP leader Arvind Shukla to jail following his arrest in connection with a banner displayed at Shastri Chowk. PTI COR KIS PRK