'Won't forget the day when CM's house was cleaned with Ganga water': Akhilesh Yadav tears into BJP on caste issue

Samajwadi Party chief and Member of Parliament (MP) Akhilesh Yadav tore into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over BJP MP Anurag Thakur's caste remarks in the Lower House.

Talking to reporters, Yadav, who was once a member of the Uttar Pradesh assembly, also talked about Shudras.

He alleged that there were some people who did not want him to perform puja and havan.


"Once I went to a temple, some didn't want me to perform havan and puja... I will never forget that day when the CM's house was cleaned with Ganga water... Now you want to go to the Moon, talks of digital India are being done," Akhilesh told reporters.

He added, "Can BJP ask the caste of any Congress leader or any other person?"


Thakur's apparent reference to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's caste during a discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday triggered an ugly spat between the opposition and treasury benches.

"Those whose caste is not known, talk about the caste census. I want to remind the Speaker that in this House itself, a former prime minister RG-1 (Rajiv Gandhi) had opposed reservation for OBCs," the BJP MP said.

Rahul Gandhi replied, "Whoever raises the issues of Adivasi, Dalit, and the backward is abused. I will happily accept these abuses... Anurag Thakur has abused me and insulted me. But I do not want any apology from him."

Akhilesh Yadav intervened in the conversation and questioned Anurag Thakur on how one could ask about the caste of any person.

"How can you ask caste...?" he asked the BJP leader in the Lower House.