Jaipur: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said the honour of women is more important than the ranking of the economy, apparently referring to the incident of two women being paraded naked in strife-torn Manipur.
He was responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch for a third term for his government. Modi on Wednesday promised to make India the world’s third-largest economy with a faster-than-now pace of growth and development.
“What will you do with the money if there is no respect for women,” Yadav said. He was in Ajmer during the day to offer his condolences to the family of a teacher from his days in school, Shanti Prakash Mishra, who died recently.
The Samajwadi Party president alleged that the RSS’ planning and strategy and the BJP’s vote bank politics was behind the violence in Manipur. More than 160 people have lost their lives in the northeastern state in ethnic violence since May 3.
He claimed that people are saying there is “something underneath the hills” and the government wants to give the land to its loyalists to help them make money.
“The country’s economy may or may not reach the top position, but saving the honour of mothers and sisters should be a priority,” Yadav said.
Targeting the BJP, he asked how those afraid of the opposition alliance INDIA would take the country forward. The BJP does not have a choice other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi whereas the opposition parties of the INDIA alliance have a combination of youth, experience and women.
The SP leader also offered prayers at the Ajmer Dargah
