Yogi Adityanath Emerges As Main Target In Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary's Mahapanchayat Held In Mathura

Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary was joined by leaders from Samajwadi Party, Akali Dal, Indian National Lok Dal and others in addressing a rally in Mathura -- Loktantra Bachao Mahapanchayat against Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, on 12 October.

Angered by the police lathi attacks on him during protests against the alleged gangrape, and murder of a Dalit girl, Jayant Chaudhary also protested against the agriculture policies of the centre.

Indian National Lok Dal leader Abhay Singh Chautala also joined the protests and said that fighting patiently is the key.

Reportedly, he raised a slogan before the crowds: "Uttar Pradesh se bair nahin, Yogi ki khair nahin." In "Yogi ki khair nahin", he seems to have taken some inspiration from the slogans raised against former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje before the assembly polls and around the end of her term in the state.

Interestingly, Chaudhary's slogan refrained from attacking the police and mentioned that his supporters are not against the state police.

Workers of Samajwadi Party joined the Kisan Bachaao Loktantra Bachao Mahapanchayat. MLC from the Samajwadi Sanjay Lathar told the local media that many Samajwadi Party workers have joined the rally.

He added that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had struck the farmer on the back with his lathi. This was a metaphorical reference to the centre's agricultural policies. The SP leader said that the party will take the protests from the road to the Parliament.

Chaudhary has expressed serious concerns on farmer-related issues. He described Mathura as the karmabhoomi of his grandfather Chaudhary Charan Singh and said that he will fight to uproot the Adityanath-led government in UP. He said that women are not safe in the state.

A similar mahapanchayat was held in Muzaffarnagar, UP.