UP dy CM adds ‘servant’ prefix to name

In a reminder of the ‘Main bhi Chowkidaar’ campaign launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Friday added a prefix to his name on his social media handle on X, formerly Twitter, making it ‘Servant Brajesh Pathak’.

The move is said to be an outcome of the war of words between Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and Pathak.

On October 11, the birth anniversary of leader Jayprakash Narayan, Yadav, along with SP supporters, scaled the locked main gates of the Jayprakash Narayan International Centre (JNIC) in Lucknow, after he was denied permission to pay tributes for security reasons. The work began during the tenure of Yadav and the statue was installed. However, the complex remained incomplete.

On the JNIC episode, Pathak had said: “Akhilesh has nothing to do with the law. Wo humesha kanoon todna pasand karte hain. Arajakta failana Samajwadiyon ka purana kaam hai. Akhilesh ji itna accha koodte hain to unhe Asian Games mein jaa ke Bharat ke liye kuch aur medal laane ka kaam karna chahiye (SP activists always believe in the breach of law. Akhilesh ji jumps well, he should try his skills in the Asian Games that would help bringing some more medals to the country).”

Yadav, while talking to the media, took a jibe at Pathak, calling him a ‘Servant Deputy CM’. “Humlog ‘servant’ Deputy CM ke sawaal ka jawab nahi dete hai. Aur isliye nahi dete hain kyunki it is the UP CM is responsible for everything (We are not answerable to Servant Deputy CM because its UP CM who is responsible for everything).”

Pathak, however, immediately responded to Yadav’s remark, stating: “I am thankful to Akhilesh ji for acknowledging the fact that I am a servant. It is true that I am servant of the people of UP. Whereas Akhilesh Yadav, who himself was the UP CM and his father remained UP CM for multiple times, lives like a Raja.”

Following the remark, he changed his bio on X.