Akhilesh Yadav stays mum as SP workers assault reporter in public; BJP, Cong condemn

In a shocking incident in UP's Moradabad, Samajwadi Party (SP) workers attacked reporters in the presence of party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday as the whole incident was caught on tape. Akhilesh Yadav's security personnel, along with SP workers, heckled media persons in full public view at Hotel Holiday Regency while the former UP CM watched on. In multiple videos of the attack doing rounds, SP workers can be seen heckling a reporter who attempted to pose questions to Akhilesh Yadav following which the reporter falls to the ground. SP workers, sporting red caps, can be seen pushing media persons following which Akhilesh Yadav is heard telling the media that the reporter was working for a 'BJP's channel'.

BJP, Congress condemn attack by SP

Both Congress and BJP came down heavily on SP's attack on the reporter and condemned the shocking incident. UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu called SP's assault on media persons as an insult to 'Lohiya's Samajwadi' while condemning the attack. Sharing a video of the incident, BJP MLA Rakesh Tripathi called the attack shameful and claimed that Samajwadi Party 'hooliganism' had met its end. 

Akhilesh vows to remove EVMs if SP is voted to power

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday pledged to remove EVMs if his party wins the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election due early next year. Claiming that nobody has faith in EVMs, he cited that even the US conducted the election using paper ballots. At the same time, he stressed that it was unwise to campaign against EVMs at this juncture. Addressing a press briefing in Jhansi, the ex-UP CM maintained that the focus would remain on ensuring that SP wins the Assembly election at the outset. In the 403-member UP Assembly, 312 MLAs belong to BJP while SP only has 49 seats. 

SP president Akhilesh Yadav remarked, "I am saying this even today. Nobody trusts EVMs. In America, elections were held and the counting was going on for many days. People will regain trust only through ballots. But this battle cannot be fought now. That's why we want to ensure that at least all the Samajwadi Party workers cast their vote. If all of them cast their vote, they (BJP) will be defeated automatically. And after forming the government, the Samajwadi Party will remove the EVMs first."