Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government of creating obstacles for people celebrating Eid and undermining the democratic principles of the Constitution.
"The biggest threat today is to democracy and the Constitution," Yadav told reporters outside Aishbagh Eidgah, Lucknow on the day of Eid.
"And I am saying this with full responsibility', even though I shouldn't have to, that the BJP is not running the country as per the Constitution."
Yadav pointed to heightened security measures at Eidgahs and mosques, claiming they were excessive and unnecessary.
"You all have been covering Eid for years, but have you ever seen such large-scale barricading before?" he asked.
The former Uttar Pradesh CM also claimed that police halted his convoy for half an hour without any valid reason.
"When I asked why I was being held up, no official had an answer. What should I call this? Dictatorship? An undeclared emergency? Or an attempt to intimidate us so that we don't attend events of other communities?" he remarked.
Yadav also recalled how his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav had first brought him to the Eidgah, and since then, he had been visiting.
"But this time, the excessive security seemed designed to prevent people from celebrating their festival and following their traditions," he alleged.
Responding to BJP criticism over his recent remarks on cow shelters and dung management, Yadav defended his stance.
"Who knows more about cows than us? Those putting up posters and debating on national TV should actually work for cow protection instead of just talking," he said, challenging the BJP to reveal the actual number of cows and bulls in government-run shelters.
"They won't tell you how many animals died at the Maha Kumbh due to the floods, nor will they explain where the allocated budget for cow shelters is going," he said.
Yadav also accused the BJP of using distractions to avoid addressing pressing issues such as rising unemployment, inflation, and inadequate healthcare facilities in Uttar Pradesh.
"They want to hide corruption, their 'Ease of Doing Corruption', their 'Ease of Taking Commissions', and their 'Ease of Doing Scams'," he remarked sarcastically.
He also extended his support to Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, who accused the BJP of running a smear campaign against her on Monday.
"What Mamata Banerjee is facing today in Bengal is exactly what the BJP did in Uttar Pradesh. Now, they are using the same dirty tactics in Bengal and Bihar," he alleged.
At an Eid prayers programme on Red Road in Kolkata, Banerjee had urged people not to fall for provocations aimed at inciting riots.
"The West Bengal government stands with the minorities. No one can provoke tensions in the state," she assured. She also questioned the BJP's intentions, asking, "If they have problems with minorities, will they change the Constitution of the country?"
