A hoarding featuring BR Ambedkar and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow drew sharp reactions from senior BJP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, who termed it as A reflection of SP's corrupt mentality.

Pathak said, "It is a reflection of SP's corrupt mentality and a deliberate attempt to insult Babasaheb, which will never be accepted by the people, and the party (SP) will face the consequences at the right time." UP's Social Welfare and SC/ST Welfare Minister Asim Arun said the SP hoarding amounts to a grave insult to Ambedkar.

He said that SP has a history of undermining Dalits and backward classes, recalling how Akhilesh Yadav had scrapped several welfare schemes during his tenure as the chief minister.

Member of UP's legislative council, Lalji Prasad Nirmal, also accused Akhilesh Yadav of being anti-Dalit, citing his decision to ban reservation in promotions for Dalit personnel, which caused significant hardship to Dalit officers and employees.

Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal criticised Yadav for equating himself with Ambedkar, stating that "Akhilesh is not even worthy of being the dust beneath Babasaheb's feet." "People of the country will not forgive him for this insult," he added.

The Samajwadi Party was unavailable for comment.

BSP chief Mayawati took veiled potshots at Yadav . "We won't relent until the SP chief tenders apology," said BJP cadres who staged a sit-in at the Ambedkar statue at Lucknow's Hazratganj. Similar protests by the BJP were seen in other parts of the state.

The SP hit back at its rivals and suggested that the poster could be the work of the BJP.

When asked about the poster, SP chief spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhary told PTI, "This is not the official poster of Samajwadi Party... We are not aware of who has put this up. Anyone can put up a poster anywhere. Maybe it's the work of BJP men." "Samajwadi party is fighting to save the Constitution of Dr BR Ambedkar and getting tremendous response from the people," he added.

The SP leadership, buoyed by the party's impressive showing in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in UP, has been trying to woo the Dalits, once considered loyal to the BSP, and competing with the BJP for support of the OBCs, considered the mainstays of BJP's phenomenal wins in UP since the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the SP, in alliance with Congress, managed to check the BJP's growing dominance in the state and dealt an embarrassing blow when SP's Dalit leader Awadhesh Prasad defeated his BJP rival from the Faizabad Lok Sabha seat. The constituency is part of Ayodhya, where only a few months back the Ram temple was built under BJP governments in the state and Centre.