Lucknow/UNI: Days ahead of the beginning of the Uttar Pradesh elections, the BJP on Monday accused Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav of being "pro-Pakistani... pro-Jinnah" and alleged that he had tried to free terrorists when he was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said that Yadav has refrained from calling Pakistan "an enemy state".
"Akhilesh Yadav said in an interview to a newspaper that he does not consider Pakistan the real enemy of India. I want to ask Akhilesh whether the brothers and sisters in Kashmir killed by terrorists sent by Pakistan are not Indians?
"Akhilesh is not declaring the names of candidates because he is giving ticket to people like Nahid Hasan. If Yakub Memon had not been hanged, Akhilesh would have made Yakub a candidate and fielded Kasab as a star campaigner," he said, referring to the Pakistani terrorist hanged after the 2008 terror attack.
"This election is between BJP and SP expressways. BJP expressways are Ganga Expressway, Poorvanchal Expressway, Bundelkhand Expressway, Gorakhpur Link Expressway... SP's expressway is Gundai Expressway, Rangdari Expressway and Mafia Expressway. And it is all for you to choose from," he said.
The UP polls will be held in seven phases between Feb 10 and Mar 7.
The results will be declared on Mar 10.
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