Up news: A disputed poster of Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav has created a stir in the political corridors after being put in front of the SP office on Tuesday. In this poster, half of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar and Akhilesh Yadav are shown mixed together. The poster attempt to convey the message that Akhilesh Yadav is carrying forward the ideology of Ambedkar, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has described it as ‘serious insult’.
The BJP has announced a demonstration across Uttar Pradesh in protest against this poster. Protests are being organized at the Ambedkar statue site in Lucknow on Wednesday. Party leaders have alleged that through this poster, the SP has political misuse of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s legacy. Union Minister and BJP leader Arjun Ram Meghwal has reacted sharply to this. He said, “It is an insult to Akhilesh Yadav’s face with Babasaheb Ambedkar’s face. If he wants to confuse the Dalit society by putting such posters, it is a misunderstanding.”
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Meghwal also said that the Samajwadi Party has always described itself as a supporter of backward and underprivileged, but now it is standing with the Congress- the same Congress, whose leader Rajiv Gandhi gave a long speech opposing OBC reservation in Parliament. He alleged that today Akhilesh Yadav is joining hands with the same Congress and is trying to tell himself like Baba Saheb, which is a direct insult to the Dalit society. BJP leaders have also made it clear that they are not going to give up this issue and will continue to oppose it in the coming days.
Akhilesh Yadav is showing half the face of Babasaheb in a poster and half of his face (Akhilesh Yadav).
This is an insult to Baba Saheb. By showing this face, if they want to collect the votes of Dalit society, then Akhilesh ji is living in confusion.
Akhilesh Yadav and his family members OBC reservation advocates… pic.twitter.com/mr76pe5ydq
– BJP uttar pradesh (@BJP4up) April 30, 2025
Political move to help Dalit vote bank?
Amid the political storm that has arisen over the disputed poster of Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav, now political analysts are also looking at this development with Dalit politics. In this poster installed outside the SP office, half of the face of Babasaheb Ambedkar and Akhilesh Yadav is shown together, which the BJP has expressed intense objection and called it ‘insult to Baba Saheb’.
However, political experts believe that it can be a part of the well-planned strategy of the Samajwadi Party, not just a poster. He says that Akhilesh Yadav is trying to present himself as the leader of the Dalit society through this poster. According to analysts, this effort is a sign of the SP’s strategy, under which it wants to bring the Dalit vote bank in its favor in the changed political equations after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Political experts say that Akhilesh Yadav is trying to increase his acceptance among Dalits by connecting Baba Saheb’s image. Especially at a time when the influence of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is continuously decreasing, SP is preparing to fill this vacant political place.
However, the BJP is calling this effort playing with the sentiments of Dalits. BJP leaders allege that SP is only doing vote bank politics and is using Baba Saheb political. The BJP is protesting all over the state on this issue. At present, there is no official response to this disputed poster from the Samajwadi Party.
Mayawati recorded objection
Meanwhile, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has reprimanded political parties on this sensitive issue. He clarified by tweeting that at this time all political parties should unite and stand with the government, not politics under the guise of this incident.
1. All the parties should unite and stand up with every step of the government regarding the Pahalgam terror attack, not under its guise, disgusting politics should be done through posters and rhetoric etc., because it is causing confusion among the people, which is not good in the interest of the country. (1/2)
– Mayawati (@mayawati) April 30, 2025
Mayawati said in the tweet, “All parties should unite and stand with every step of the government regarding the Pahalgam terror attack. There should be no disgusting politics through posters and rhetoric, as it is causing confusion among the people, which is not in the interest of the country.”
Along with this, he also targeted Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress indirectly. He said in his tweet that the creator of the Indian Constitution should not be tried to take political advantage by taking the name of Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar or wrongly using his image. He warned in a strict tone that if this continues, Bahujan Samaj Party will take to the streets and register a protest.
