Dhami slams Akhilesh Yadav over “Infiltrators from Uttarakhand” remarks
Dehradun, October 24: A political row has erupted after Akhilesh Yadav‘s remarks about the people of Uttarakhand, with Pushkar Singh Dhami strongly condemning the statement and alleging that it insulted the dignity, self-respect, and cultural identity of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and its people.
Speaking to reporters, Akhilesh had said, “If we ask who the biggest ‘infiltrators’ in Uttar Pradesh are from Uttarakhand, then we will have to define an infiltrator.”
Countering this statement, Dhami, in a post on the social media platform “X,” said that Uttarakhand is not only the land of gods but also the land of heroes. This sacred land has given the country numerous saints, soldiers, and figures dedicated to national service.
He said that calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators is an insult to the state’s pride and their struggles. Chief Minister Dhami also mentioned the firing at Rampur Tiraha in Muzaffarnagar during the Uttarakhand statehood movement. He said that when Akhilesh Yadav’s father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, protesters demanding a separate Uttarakhand state were fired upon at Rampur Tiraha. The people of Uttarakhand have not forgotten the firing incident during the statehood movement.
He questioned why the people of the state who struggled and sacrificed for a separate state are now being called infiltrators. Dhami asked the Congress party whether it supports this statement by its political ally Akhilesh Yadav and whether calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators is acceptable to them. He said that the Congress party should clarify its position on this issue to the people of the state.
