'Arrogance brings downfall': Jayant Chaudhary on Akhilesh's 'chavanni' remark

Union minister Jayant Chaudhary, the head of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), responded strongly to former ally and Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav's recent remarks. Akhilesh Yadav had said, "We turned 25 paise into a rupee, and yet they left us," a comment widely perceived as directed at Chaudhary. Chaudhary cautioned that such arrogance ultimately leads to downfall.

He questioned why Akhilesh Yadav chose to use derogatory language against the Jat community, a group that holds significant political influence in western Uttar Pradesh, where the upcoming state elections are scheduled. The RLD merged with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in March 2024, and Chaudhary became a Union minister following the NDA's victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Akhilesh Yadav's remarks drew criticism, with Mayawati of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) calling for an apology from Yadav for insulting former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, Chaudhary's grandfather. Mayawati warned of the SP's narrow-minded and casteist politics, urging people from all sections of society to be cautious of the party in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.