UP: Senior Cong leader, former BSP MP join SP

“I want to conclude by saying that with pride we should say that we are Muslim or Hindu. But we should also add the word ‘Hindustani’ Muslim and ‘Hindustani’ Hindu,” he added.

Shervani, a five-time MP from Badaun and former Union minister, had quit the Congress to join the SP after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992. However, he returned to the Congress in 2009 after he was denied a ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

Expressing confidence that Samajwadi Party would win the 2022 UP Assembly elections, Akhilesh said the party has been further strengthened with the new entrants.

He also accused the BJP government in the state of hiding the data related to Covid-19. “I had said at the beginning that more testing should be done so that we know how much the virus has spread… The government is hiding the Covid-19,” said Akhilesh.

He also slammed the BJP government on the issue of law and order and safety of women. “Because of the ‘thoko neeti’ (encounter policy) of the government, the law and order in the state is in shambles. The CM is himself responsible for this,” said the SP chief.