Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party, launched an all-out attack on BJP leaders for claiming that terrorists linked to the Samajwadi Party were involved in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case.

“I saw BJP leaders touching the feet of a Pakistani General who later went on to become the President. If I am a terrorist, then so are they,” he told news agency ANI.

If just a photo is a parameter, with which leader can pics of industrialists running out of the country with money be seen? When I was an LS MP, a Pakistani General who later became the President had come there & I saw BJP leaders almost touching his feet: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav https://t.co/rPmmkeIYSH pic.twitter.com/FmHXhCLMOq

— ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2022

“If just a photo is a parameter, with which leader can pics of industrialists running out of the country with money be seen?” he said, responding to photos shared by Union minister Anurag Thakur that allegedly show the convicted terrorist’s father with Akhilesh Yadav.

“As far as Anurag Thakur is concerned, he’s a minister. When the (Ahmedabad) blast took place, around that time I and others sat in the same vehicle and went to the Defence office for Territorial Army training. If I’m a terrorist, so are they. Ask him about this,” SP chief Akhilesh Yadav told news agency ANI.

During his election rally in Pilibhit district yesterday, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath linked the SP chief to one of the terrorists involved in the 2008 Ahmedabad blast case. “In the 2008 serial blasts case, an Ahmedabad court handed down the sentence quantum for 38 terrorists. The death penalty and life imprisonment were both imposed. They also included some UP terrorists. “And, according to news agency ANI, the family of one of them was seen with the SP chief asking for votes for the party.”

The third phase of the Uttar Pradesh elections has begun with polling in 59 constituencies. Karhal, where former chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is contesting his first Assembly election, is one of the key constituencies where voting began today.