BJP insulted Lord Ram by saying it 'brought' him, he has always been there: Akhilesh Yadav
Lucknow, Feb 10: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday attacked the ruling BJP saying it insulted Lord Ram by claiming that it "brought" Ram to the temple in Ayodhya, whereas the Hindu god always lived in the people's heart.
"When Lord Ram resides in the heart, then what is the need to take the name? Ram was there earlier too," Yadav said during the budget session in the Legislative Assembly.
"Lord Ram is there even today. Lord Ram will always be there. When we were not there, Lord Ram was, and when we would no longer be there, Lord Ram would still be there. Therefore, by saying that you have brought Lord Ram, you are not only insulting Lord Ram, but also religion," he said and asked the BJP to stop doing politics in the name of religion.
Yadav also cited the Governor's address to say Rs 31,000 crore was spent on beautification of Ayodhya ahead of Ram Temple consecration.
The former UP chief minister criticised the "big budget" presented by the treasury bench, saying it means nothing if the government chooses to spend it covertly. "The government does not provide information about how much has been spent of the amount allocated."
He said, "Whether the UP budget is of 7 lakh crore or 8 lakh crore, the biggest question will always be 'what is in it for the 90 per cent of the people of the state?'"
"The policy of the BJP is not for the common public of the state. It keeps 90 per cent of the budget for the 10 per cent rich people. And only 10 per cent of the budget for the 90 per cent of the needy people."
The SP chief in his speech mentioned several issues afflicting the state, such as inflation, law and order, unemployment, and farmer distress, and asked the government if there is enough in the budget to address these issues and also asked it to reveal the allocation towards them.
"Will the farmer get the right price for his crop? Whether the income of the farmers will be doubled? Will the labourer get the right price for his hard work?" Yadav asked, and used a Hindi proverb to claim big is not always better 'Bada hua to kya hua jaise ped khajoor, panchi ko chhaaya nahi, phal lage ati door.'
"India is the fifth (largest) economy in the world, but 80 crore people of the country are dependent on government ration. There is no exemption in rail fare for senior citizens. For the youth, there is only four-year Agniveer recruitment in the Army," Yadav said.
The Uttar Pradesh government had on Monday presented a Rs 7.36 lakh crore budget for 2024-25 invoking Lord Ram and claiming to prioritise infrastructure development as well as the welfare of women, youth, and farmers.
UP's Finance Minister Suresh Khanna started his budget speech in the assembly with a verse of Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas and said that the state government is inspired by the concept of 'Ram Rajya.'
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Vartha Bharati–Sankalp predictions align closely with Karnataka bypoll results
Bengaluru: The Vartha Bharati–Sankalp election analysis has shown a high level of accuracy in predicting the outcome of the recent Karnataka Assembly by-elections held in May 2026, correctly calling winners in both constituencies and closely estimating vote share trends.
The by-elections were held in Bagalkot and Davanagere South, drawing significant political attention as both seats were seen as key tests for the ruling Congress and opposition BJP.
According to the analysis, Vartha Bharati–Sankalp had made three major projections ahead of the results the winning party, vote share percentages, and margin of victory.
In both constituencies, the platform accurately predicted that the Congress would emerge victorious. The outcome matched the projections, with Congress candidates winning in Bagalkot and Davanagere South.
In terms of vote share, the predictions were largely in line with the final results. In Bagalkot, the BJP’s vote share was forecast in the range of 40 to 46 per cent, while the actual figure stood at 42.9 per cent. The Congress vote share, however, exceeded expectations, with the party securing 55.4 per cent against a projected range of 43 to 48 per cent.
The margin of victory in Bagalkot turned out to be significantly higher than anticipated. While the projection had placed the margin between 2,000 and 3,500 votes, the final margin was around 22,332 votes.
In Davanagere South, the predictions also remained largely accurate. The Congress vote share was projected between 43 and 51 per cent, and the final figure stood at 43.9 per cent. The BJP was expected to secure between 42 and 50 per cent but ended with 40.3 per cent.
The analysis had also identified the role of SDPI as a potential spoiler in the constituency. While its vote share was estimated around 6 per cent, the party eventually secured around 12 per cent of the vote.
The margin of victory in Davanagere South was predicted to be between 1,500 and 2,600 votes. The actual margin was higher at around 5,708 votes, though the contest remained relatively close as anticipated.
Overall, the performance of Vartha Bharati–Sankalp stood out for correctly identifying the winning parties in both seats and maintaining close accuracy in vote share estimates, with only limited deviations in specific cases.
