Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav found himself in a controversy on Saturday after he drew parallels between Diwali and Christmas celebrations across the world, and questioned the Yogi Adityanath government over its expenditure on candles and diyas for deepotsav celebrations.
Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow on Saturday, Yadav said India should 'learn' from cities across the world on how they celebrate Christmas. "I will give one suggestion on the name of Lord Ram. In the entire world, all the cities get illuminated during Christmas. And that goes on for months. We should learn from them," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"Why do we have to spend money on lamps and candles and put so much thought into it? What can we expect from this government; it should be removed. We will make sure that there are more beautiful lights," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.
BJP slams Yadav
Yadav's comment received a sharp reaction from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla saying that Ayodhya was kept in dark during SP's rule in UP. Poonawalla even alleged that the SP government had opened fire on devotees of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
"When Ayodhya is shining, Akhilesh Yadav is having a problem. These people used to organise singing and dancing festivals in Saifai, but if Diwali is being celebrated in Ayodhya, Akhilesh Yadav is having a problem," he said.
BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia also attacked Yadav, asking how can the light of Diwali appeal to those who celebrate Christmas in October? In an X post, he said while Ayodhya is 'sparkling', the hearts of some people are burning, as he took a dig at Yadav.
"When Lord Shri Ram returned to Ayodhya, lamps were lit as a symbol of truth’s victory. Today, these lamps, as the light of faith for millions of Ram devotees, are dispelling darkness," he posted.
VHP accuses Yadav of glorifying foreign culture
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) also took a dig at Yadav and accused him of glorifying foreign culture. In an X post, VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal called Yadav a "messiah of jihadis and conversion gangs", saying he loves Christians more than Hindus.
"Today, on Diwali, he is lecturing about Christmas. Christmas will come in two months," he said. "He doesn't even know which festival is going on. When will Akhilesh Yadav get rid of his anti-Sanatana mindset?"
