Kanpur: Former deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma on Sunday slammed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his ‘chavanni’ (25 paise) jibe against Union minister and RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, saying the remarks hurt the entire Jat community.Referring to Chaudhary Charan Singh, Sharma said that he was not just a Jat leader but a universally accepted farmers’ leader. Sharma said that Jayant comes from a political legacy with a tradition of patriotism and nationalism.Addressing an event recently, Akhilesh had reportedly said, “People from all sorts of places had come to form an alliance with us. We had raised their political worth from a ‘chavanni’ to a full rupee, yet they still left us and walked away.”Describing Congress’s decision to sing two stanzas of Vande Mataram as regrettable, he remarked that when the history of Congress is documented, the section on its opposition to Vande Mataram will be noted in dark letters.Sharma stated that prior to Independence, Congress had a commendable history, but its character transformed post-Independence.Sharma was in Kanpur to attend the inauguration of a former MLA’s establishment.Citing the surgical strike, air strike and Operation Sindoor, Sharma noted that all these actions occurred under the BJP government. He accused Pakistan of using certain statements from the Samajwadi Party and Congress to bolster its position at the United Nations.Sharma also criticised Akhilesh for his comments about having five MPs in his family. He claimed that Congress and the Samajwadi Party exemplify dynastic politics. Sharma alleged that both parties are unable to transcend family ties, which is why they are swiftly heading towards decline.He also hit out at opposition leaders over their alleged “political tourism”, saying they engage with the public only during election periods.
