'Insult to Uttarakhand': Dhami slams Akhilesh over 'infiltrator' jibe

NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday hit back at Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav over his “ghuspaithiya” (infiltrator) remark targeting a person from the hill state.

In a video shared by news agency IANS, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister is seen saying, “Who is the biggest infiltrator in Uttar Pradesh? He is from Uttarakhand.” The remarks appeared to be directed at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who was born in Pauri Garhwal district when it was part of undivided Uttar Pradesh. The region is now in Uttarakhand, which was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.

In response, Dhami accused Akhilesh Yadav of “insulting” the people of Uttarakhand. He also invoked the 1994 Rampur Tiraha firing incident, in which Uttar Pradesh Police opened fire on activists campaigning for a separate Uttarakhand state. Akhilesh Yadav’s father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, was the Uttar Pradesh chief minister at the time.

"Uttarakhand is both the Devbhoomi (land of Gods) and Veerbhoomi (land of the brave). This sacred soil has given the nation numerous saints, soldiers, and individuals devoted to national service. Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators, is an insult to the pride of the Devbhoomi and to our struggles," Dhami posted on X.

"The people of Uttarakhand also have not forgotten that when Akhilesh Yadav ji's father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, bullets were fired at the agitators demanding a separate Uttarakhand state at Rampur Tiraha in Muzaffarnagar. Bullets were fired at Uttarakhand's agitators during the father's regime, and today the son is calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators! The people of Uttarakhand can never forget their struggles and sacrifices," he added.

Dhami also questioned whether the Congress, the Samajwadi Party’s ally in Uttar Pradesh, supported Akhilesh Yadav’s remarks. “Does the Congress support this statement from its political ally, Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji? Is calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators acceptable to the Congress? The Congress must answer the people of this Devbhoomi,” he said.

Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, both with BJP governments, are scheduled to hold assembly elections early next year. The party has been in power in both states since 2017.