Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticized the Congress party, accusing them of intending to implement the Jizya tax, originally imposed by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb on non-Muslim minorities. Adityanath made these remarks while addressing a public meeting in Madhya Pradesh's Ashoknagar district on Saturday, where he was campaigning for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jyotiraditya Scindia for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Adityanath referred to the Congress manifesto, highlighting its proposal for an inheritance tax, which he likened to Aurangzeb's Jizya tax. He stated, "Even a civilized Muslim family does not name their son Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb was the most cruel Mughal king. Aurangzeb had imposed a tax named Jizya tax. Today, Congress also talks about the Jizya tax in its manifesto."

He criticized the Congress further, claiming that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized respecting inherited property, the Congress proposed an inheritance tax in its manifesto. Adityanath asserted that Congress intended to implement the Jizya tax and questioned whether Indians would accept it.

Moreover, Adityanath alleged that the Congress aimed to reduce reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBC) and Scheduled Castes (SC), citing the party's manifesto. He accused Congress of reducing OBC reservations in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh during their respective governments.

Responding to Adityanath's remarks, Congress leader Pawan Khera challenged the accuracy of his claims and asked Adityanath to cite the page number in the manifesto where the Jizya tax proposal was mentioned. Khera emphasized that Yogis, like Adityanath, should speak the truth.

The Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh are being conducted in four phases. The first two phases were held on April 19 and April 26, while the remaining two phases are scheduled for May 7 and May 13. Vote counting is set for June 4.

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