SP to lodge FIR over song aimed at defaming party: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow, Mar 7 (PTI) Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said the party would lodge an FIR against a song that he alleged was launched to defame it.

Addressing a press conference at the party's state headquarters here, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister accused the BJP government of conspiring to "malign" the Samajwadi Party.

Yadav alleged that the song had been launched as part of a political campaign to tarnish the image of the party.

"The BJP is trying to defame the Samajwadi Party. A song has been launched to malign the party, and we will lodge an FIR against it," he said, demanding action against those responsible for releasing it.

During the press conference, Yadav also had the song played on a screen with the lyrics suggesting that hooliganism would increase if the Samajwadi Party returned to power.

However, the song did not explicitly show any direct link to the BJP or the state government.

Referring to this, Yadav said the party would still register an FIR and see whether any action was taken against those who made the song.

"If no action is taken, it will become clear under whose protection this work is being done," he said.

The development comes days after BJP MP and Bhojpuri actor-singer Manoj Tiwari released a song themed around Holi that took a dig at the Samajwadi Party and Yadav. The purported video featured a person wearing a mask resembling Yadav.

Responding to the song earlier, Yadav had said Tiwari began his political career with the Samajwadi Party, and since the song was related to Holi, no one should take offence.

"If the Samajwadi Party also releases such a song, then no one should feel bad about it," he had said.

A few days later, the Samajwadi Party released a short video song featuring a person wearing a mask resembling Tiwari, making light of his political career and alleging that he had been sidelined in his party and not made the chief minister of Delhi. PTI KIS APL