As the battle for UP elections heats up, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and firebrand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yogi Adityanath on Friday raked the 1990 firing on ‘kar sevaks’ incident in Ayodhya and called Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav a ‘supporter of Pakistan and worshipper of Jinnah’.

Without taking the name of anyone, Adityanath tweeted “they are worshippers of Jinnah, we are worshippers of Sardar Patel. Pakistan is dear to them, we will sacrifice our life for Maa Bharati (Mother India).” Though the UP CM didn’t take anybody’s name, the tweet ostensibly refers to Yadav and SP.

The Uttar Pradesh CM also reminded people that the BJP government had honoured its commitment on Ram temple in Ayodhya and also highlighted the ‘grand’ Deepotsav celebration in the temple town.

In a veiled attack on the Samajwadi Party and its chief Akhilesh, Yogi Adityanath said, “When they were (in power), Ram devotees were fired upon. Kanwar Yatras were cancelled. Exploits (karnamey) like Safai Mahotsav took place. When we are (in power), dream of Sri Ramlala Virajman came true, flowers were showered from helicopter on ‘kanwariyas’. Deepotsav and Rangotsav become the identity of Uttar Pradesh.”

The BJP leader was referring to firing on ‘kar sevaks’ in Ayodhya on October 30 in 1990 when SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. 

Earlier this year, Yogi Adityanath had created a huge controversy by saying that the upcoming UP elections 2022 will be an “80 per cent versus 20 per cent”. Notably, Muslims constitute around 20 per cent of the UP’s population.

Uttar Pradesh elections 202 will be held in seven phases starting from February 10. The UP election results 2022 will be declared on March 10.