SP chief Akhilesh accuses CM Adityanath of starting dynastic politics in UP

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday attacked Yogi Adityanath, saying it was the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister who started "parivarvaad" (dynasticism) in the state.

Yadav made the remarks while reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on nepotism during his Independence Day address.

Prime Minister Modi, in his speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, attacked the opposition over corruption, dynastic politics and appeasement.

"If he (PM Modi) is talking about dynastic politics from the Red Fort, then he should also have a look at the chief minister (Adityanath) who has become an example of 'parivarvaad' in the state," Yadav told reporters in Saifai, Etawah.

The SP chief was apparently referring to Adityanath joining politics after his guru Brahmalin Mahant Avaidyanath retired from it. Mahant Avaidyanath, who was Gorakshpeethadhishwar, was elected MP from Gorakhpur Lok Sabha constituency after the death of his Guru Mahant Digvijay Nath in 1969 and represented it many times.

After his retirement from politics, in 1998, Mahant Avaidyanath's disciple Yogi Adityanath was elected MP from Gorakhpur and represented it continuously till he became the chief minister in 2017.