Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday expressed strong solidarity with the victims of the recent Etawah incident involving two non-Brahmin storytellers, terming it an affront to the dignity of the backward community. In a sharp critique, he alleged that the incident reflects a deeper pattern of social injustice under the current political climate.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the humiliation of two Yadav storytellers, Mukut Mani Yadav and his associate Sant Singh Yadav, Akhilesh said the episode had caused widespread anger among the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) communities. The storytellers were allegedly forced to undergo head-shaving and were publicly insulted.
Posting from his official social media account, the SP leader said, "The PDA community today raises its voice for every victim of this incident. The insult of a storyteller because of his caste reveals the inhuman and un-Indian mentality of those responsible."
He further stated that the attackers, driven by dominance and prejudice, failed to recognize the emotional and cultural value of traditional artists. "Those who humiliate an artist rob themselves of the sympathy of the very society they claim to represent," he added.
Yadav defined PDA not only as a social group but as a symbol of collective pain, injustice, and awakening among the marginalized.
He called it a rising force that signifies unity against historical exclusion. He also accused the BJP of engaging in “intrusive politics” by importing divisive elements from neighboring states to polarize communities in Uttar Pradesh. “The people of this state are aware of this agenda,” he remarked.
