Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav‘s statement on Pooja Pal, estranged SP MLA from Chail (Prayagraj), drew a sharp response from the BJP, triggering a fresh political row on Thursday.Akhilesh said his party would go all out against Pal if she is fielded by the BJP in the 2027 assembly elections.The former CM indicated that the BJP is misleading SP leaders, including Pal. “Our party’s legislator has been misled and taken away. Now tell me, where should I file an FIR?” he said.Responding to remarks made by Pooja Pal in praise of CM Yogi Adityanath, whom she described as a “dhurandhar” (formidable leader), Akhilesh took a swipe, saying she failed to fully understand the CM.Reacting strongly, UP BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary said those responsible for the murder of Pooja’s husband Raju Pal, who was also an MLA when killed in 2005, were “protected and promoted” by the SP. An FIR should be filed over the “blood-stained history” linked to the killing of Raju Pal, he said. Chaudhary accused the SP of having a long-standing association with “mafia, crime, and patronage-based politics.” He further alleged that the party not only sheltered the accused in the Raju Pal murder case but also helped them gain political legitimacy. Chaudhary said it was ironic that leaders were now speaking about people being “misled”, while failing to explain the alleged rise in criminal activities during the SP’s tenure. He questioned why UP was often associated with “jungle raj” during that period.The BJP leader also claimed that the Pal community has now “understood” the reality of what he termed as ‘cosmetic’ socialism and is moving towards politics focused on development, security and governance. He added that a growing number of public representatives and party workers are leaving the SP to join the BJP reflects changing political dynamics in the state.
