Lucknow, April 8 Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticized BJP MP Ravi Kishan on Wednesday for his reported remarks, in which he described himself as a "stress reliever" for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying that an MP is a representative of the people, not a "tool" of the CM.
In a post on X in Hindi, Yadav criticized the ruling BJP, questioning its priorities and accusing it of being insensitive to public issues.
"A member of Parliament is a representative of the people, not a tool of the chief minister. Is this a government or a circus?" said the MP representing Kannauj and a leader of the third-largest party in the Lok Sabha.
The SP chief alleged that while people in the state were facing hardships, leaders of the ruling party were engaged in "trivial exchanges" among themselves.
He further remarked that such statements were embarrassing for Gorakhpur, which is represented by Kishan in the Lok Sabha.
Referring to the reported remark, Yadav said that the BJP MP might face consequences for publicly stating that the chief minister was under "stress."
He added that public anger due to alleged corruption and "atrocities" by the government could be a reason behind such stress.
The remarks came after a media report quoted Kishan as saying that Chief Minister Adityanath enjoys his company and that he acts as a "stress reliever" for him.
Yadav had also previously made a jibe at Kishan. Last year, when the BJP MP compared Gorakhpur to Spain, the SP chief asked whether he could locate Spain on the world map.
Gorakhpur, represented by Kishan, has been a political stronghold of Adityanath, who is also associated with the Gorakhnath Math. The chief minister and the MP have often been seen sharing light moments during public events in the city.
There was no immediate response from the BJP or Kishan on Yadav's remarks.