Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s “gaushala vs perfume park” barb at the BJP has sparked a major row and invited a sharp retort from Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Keshab Prasad Maurya.
The Kannauj MP was addressing the media on the perfume park project launched by his government when he said Kannauj has always spread the fragrance of brotherhood. “I urge the people of Kannauj to remove this BJP stench completely. It has been reduced to some extent, but remove it entirely the next time so that Kannauj’s stalled development can move forward,” Mr Yadav said.
He then added a remark that sparked the row. “They (BJP) like foul smell, that’s why they are building ‘gaushalas’ (cowsheds). We like fragrance, so we were building a perfume park. We appreciate fragrance, they like foul smell,” Mr Yadav said.
#WATCH कन्नौज: समाजवादी पार्टी अध्यक्ष अखिलेश यादव ने कहा, “…ये(भाजपा) दुर्गंध पसंद करते हैं इसलिए गौशाला बना रहे हैं, हम सुगंध पसंद कर रहे थे इसलिए इत्र पार्क बना रहे थे। सरकार सांड पकड़ रही है या नहीं? उसका भी पैसा खा जा रहे हैं।” (26.03) pic.twitter.com/iTEyYd3q9h
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Protecting the cow progeny because it is sacred to Hindus has been a key focus area for the BJP. Shortly after it came to power, the Yogi Adityanath government shut down illegal slaughterhouses and allocated funds to set up and maintain cowsheds. The government’s stand on cow protection attracted criticism. The Opposition pointed out how the crackdown led to farmers abandoning old and unproductive cattle, earlier sold to slaughterhouses and the leather industry, eventually creating a massive stray cattle problem for farmers and road safety.
Mr Yadav’s remarks drew a sharp response from Mr Maurya, the Deputy Chief Minister. “If a farmer’s son finds cow dung foul-smelling, it means he has lost touch with his roots and society. Munshi Premchand once wrote that if a farmer’s son dislikes cow dung, a famine is inevitable. If Akhilesh Yadav finds cow dung stinky, his party is certainly headed to political extinction,” Mr Maurya said.
Importantly, Mr Maurya used the word ‘gwal’ (cowshed) for Mr Yadav, apparently referring to his caste name. Yadav traditionally has been a caste involved in the milk business.
The fresh row comes as the Samajwadi Party is firefighting the uproar triggered by party MP Ramji Lal Suman’s remarks on Rana Sanga. Mr Suman has said the 16th-century Rajput ruler invited Mughal emperor Babar to defeat the Lodhi kings. The claim, which historians say is a misconception, has drawn a sharp counter from the BJP that has accused the Samajwadi Party MP of disrespecting Rana Sanga, revered by the Rajput community.
