LUCKNOW: A political row erupted in Uttar Pradesh after Samajwadi Party MP Ajendra Singh Lodhi allegedly made derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a protest in Mahoba, prompting sharp condemnation from BJP leaders, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who termed the comments an “insult” to democratic values.The protest, led by Lodhi along with SP district president Shobha Lal Yadav, was organised to submit a memorandum to the governor over an 11-point charter of demands related to power cuts, smart electricity meters and rising inflation.Controversy broke out after a purported video from the protest surfaced on social media, showing the Hamirpur-Mahoba MP allegedly using objectionable language against Prime Minister Narendra Modi while responding to questions on Modi’s recent appeal for austerity in gold and fuel consumption.In the video, Lodhi allegedly referred to Modi as “H****i, desh-virodhi (anti-national)” and questioned his foreign visits, saying the country had “never seen such a prime minister”. He also warned that the government would have to “face consequences” if the protesters’ demands were not addressed.Reacting strongly, Adityanath said in a post on X that the remarks against “the world’s most popular leader” were “objectionable and unforgivable” and amounted to a serious breach of democratic decorum.“The unparliamentary remark made by an MP against Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not only objectionable and unforgivable, but also a serious blow to democratic decorum,” the chief minister said.He added that Lodhi’s conduct reflected “bad political culture, ideological bankruptcy and disrespect towards the dignity of public life”, and described the comments as an insult to the mandate and trust of 145 crore Indians.UP BJP president and Union minister Pankaj Chaudhary also lashed out at the SP, alleging that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party had become “a party of goons and abusers”.“The PM does not belong to any one party but symbolises the honour and pride of the nation. This insult by the SP MP is an insult to 140 crore Indians and a deep blow to democratic decorum,” Chaudhary said, demanding Lodhi’s expulsion from the party.He warned that if SP chief Akhilesh Yadav failed to act, it would be assumed that the remarks had the tacit approval of the party leadership.Claiming that such incidents were becoming frequent, Chaudhary said SP leaders often resorted to “derogatory language” after electoral setbacks. “Whenever the public shows Samajwadi Party the mirror of defeat, its leaders start using abusive language,” he said.He added that the BJP was discussing possible action over the issue and said the remarks reflected the “mindset and frustration” of the opposition party.Several BJP leaders also shared the purported video online, accusing the SP of promoting a “distorted political culture”. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said the language used by the SP MP was part of the party’s “political character”, while BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi described it as the “real face of anarchy represented by the Samajwadi Party”.State BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi alleged that the SP had “crossed all limits of decency” and accused the party leadership of encouraging abusive public discourse.During the interaction with reporters, Lodhi was also asked about the opposition’s stand on electronic voting machines. The SP MP said his party would continue opposing EVMs and claimed that other INDIA bloc allies would also push for elections through ballot papers.
