Bareilly, Sep 24 (IANS): All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi said on Thursday that the latest Samajwadi Chief Akhilesh Yadav-led PDA Yatra is to appease Hindus while hiding from Muslims.
All India Muslim Jamaat National President Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi said, “SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is starting his PDA Yatra from Amethi and Raebareli. Both districts are considered Congress’s main strongholds and centres. Starting the yatra from here is an attempt to harm Congress.”
He added that Congress leaders should consider how this yatra signals enmity under the guise of friendship. “If this ‘Yatra’ had begun from Etawah, Mainpuri, or Saifai, then it would have made sense because these areas are known for being ‘Yadavland’ and are strongholds of the Samajwadi Party,” the Muslim cleric said.
“Nevertheless, the chariot which will be used for the Yatra is saffron-coloured. Akhilesh Yadav is trying to steal the colour from the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is a religious saffron ‘yatra’,” Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi added.
Urging Muslims not to participate in the PDA yatra, he said, “I will request all the Muslims not to participate in any activities of the PDA because this is not a yatra for the ‘Muslims’. If a ‘Musalman’ were part of the Yatra, then it would have been named ‘PDM’.
He urged that Muslims should not be part of Akhilesh Yadav’s saffron yatra because he was trying to appease the Hindus through this yatra and, meanwhile, also trying to hide from the Muslims. Thus, Muslims should not be part of the Yatra and make the ‘yatra’ unsuccessful.
Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh Yadav, on Thursday, launched the party’s ‘PDA Yatra’ from Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh as part of its campaign and preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections in the state.
Akhilesh Yadav began the yatra from Raebareli in a saffron Rath, specially designed and curated from a bus. The constituency has traditionally been regarded as a Congress stronghold, and the yatra comes amid ongoing political activity and preparations by parties ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.
Ahead of the yatra, SP leaders and workers put up posters and hoardings at several places in Raebareli. The posters depicted Akhilesh Yadav in the avatars of Lord Ram and Lord Krishna and also carried images of SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and Dr B.R. Ambedkar.
