‘The moment of farewell would not have come so soon…’ Akhilesh Yadav’s poetic counterattack on Smriti Irani’s attack, earthquake in UP politics

The Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 may be on its way to become a law after being passed by the Parliament, but this issue has started a new ‘war’ in the politics of Uttar Pradesh. The war of words between two veteran leaders of UP—SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav and former Union Minister Smriti Irani—is going on to such an extent that the temperature has risen from social media to Parliament. This series of allegations and counter-allegations has now reached personal sarcasm and poetry.

Akhilesh’s ‘mother-in-law-daughter-in-law’ taunt

This entire controversy started when Akhilesh Yadav was presenting his views on the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament. During the discussion, without naming her, he targeted former Amethi MP Smriti Irani and said, “Your mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have lost, the party will get a chance now.” Akhilesh argued that if seats were reserved for women, they would compete among themselves. He demanded that reservation should be implemented on party basis.

Smriti Irani’s attack on ‘job and family’

Smriti Irani is also not one to remain calm. He strongly retaliated on Akhilesh’s ‘mother-in-law and daughter-in-law’ comment. Taking aim at nepotism, he said that those who have inherited politics are remembering those people who make holes in the sky on their own. Smriti taunted and said, “They are commenting on a working woman who has never done any job in her entire life. Forget the serials and concentrate on the Parliament and get the bill passed for women’s rights.”

Akhilesh’s poetry: ‘Vidai Ki Ghadi’

After Smriti Irani’s attack, Akhilesh Yadav once again took charge and this time he expressed his views through four lines of poetry. Akhilesh sarcastically said that if he had maintained true friendship with the people, the time of farewell would not have come so soon. He was referring to Smriti Irani’s defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections. This counterattack of Akhilesh has made this political fight even more interesting. At present, this rhetoric from both sides remains the center of discussion in the politics of UP.