If Taliban moves towards India, air strike is ready: Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that Pakistan and Afghanistan are "feeling disturbed" by the Taliban, but if the insurgent group moves towards India, "an air strike is ready".

He was addressing the Samajik Pratinidhi Sammelan in Lucknow during which he also launched an attack on his political opponents in the state.

"Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is powerful, and no country can dare to raise its eyes towards India. Today, Pakistan and Afghanistan are feeling disturbed because of the Taliban. But, the Taliban knows if it moves towards India, an air strike is ready," he said.

According to a statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP, Adityanath, referring apparently to Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, said, "His (Rajbhar's) thought process is confined only to the development of his family."

"While the father wanted to become a minister, one son wanted to be an MP, and another an MLC. The shops of such people indulging in blackmailing must be shut," Adityanath said.

Without naming Rajbhar, Adityanath further said, "There were two ministers from the Rajbhar community in my cabinet. In the Cabinet meeting, one minister opposed the construction of a memorial in honour of Maharaja Suheldev in Bahraich, while Anil Rajbhar wanted a grand memorial should be built.

"Today, a grand memorial is being built in Bahraich. The BJP government has named the medical college in Bahraich, after Suheldev. What have the opposition parties done for Maharaja Suheldev?"

He said that the "followers of Muhammad Ghori and invader Ghazi fear that if a a Suheldev memorial is built, people will forget Ghazi, and trash those indulging in political blackmailing. This is why they indirectly oppose the memorial of Suheldev."

Sharpening his attack on other rivals, Adityanath said the Samajwadi Party, the Baujan Samaj Party and the Congress have nothing to do with development.

Without naming the SP, Adityanath asked whether those "who murdered Ram devotees have the courage to seek apology from the people of the country?"