BJP claims SP’s colour shift won’t hide record of caste‑based oppression

During a gathering in Lucknow on September 8, BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi took aim at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for swapping the party’s iconic red emblem for a blue scarf and revising the student wing’s uniform code. Tripathi argued that the electorate still recalls the “red‑era” scandals involving dalit discrimination and crimes against women, and that a mere hue change cannot cleanse those memories. He also accused the SP of using AI‑driven videos to compensate for a lack of grassroots outreach. The BJP leader warned that the party’s reliance on family‑centric politics around Akhilesh and Dimple Yadav would not succeed in the 2027 legislative contest. In contrast, he cited Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s decision to increase monthly stipends for anganwadi workers and assistants as proof of proactive governance.