UP CM Yogi Adityanath says INDIA bloc used George Soros's money in Lok Sabha polls

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has accused Congress and its allies in the opposition

INDIA bloc

of using funds from billionaire

George Soros

to influence the

2024 Lok Sabha elections

. He called this alleged involvement an act of "treason."
In a 2-minute trailer of his interview with the news agency ANI, Adityanath said, "They did propaganda and they had not only spread propaganda, but foreign money was also involved in it. George Soros had long ago announced it."
"I am saying that foreign money was involved in the Lok Sabha elections throughout the country in which Congress and other parties of the INDIA bloc were directly or indirectly involved, and through that, they tried to influence the elections. This falls in the category of deshdroh (treason)," the UP chief minister said without providing any evidence for his claim.
During the interview, he also spoke about the recent controversy surrounding stand-up artist

Kunal Kamra

, saying that some people misuse freedom of speech to create divisions. "The freedom of expression cannot be used to attack. It is unfortunate that some people considered the freedom of speech as their birthright to divide the country and further deepen divisions," he said.

Amidst the row over his statement about Maharashtra deputy CM Eknath Shinde, Kamra released a statement on his official social media handle on Monday and said that he would not 'apologise' for his act.
"An entertainment venue is merely a platform. A space for all sorts of shows. Habitat (or any other venue) is not responsible for my comedy, nor does it have any power or control over what I say or do. Neither does any political party. Attacking a venue for a comedian's words is as senseless as overturning a lorry carrying tomatoes, because you didn't like the butter chicken you were served", Kunal Kamra's statement read. "Our right to freedom of speech and expression is not only to be used to fawn over the powerful and rich even though today's media would have us believe otherwise. Your inability to take a joke at the expense of a powerful public figure does not change the nature of my right. As far as I know, it is not against the law to poke fun at our leaders and the circus that is our political system", Kunal Kamra's statement added.
Adityanath also criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government for implementing a four percent reservation quota based on religion. He said, "The reservation on the basis of religion by Karnataka government is an insult to Babasaheb

Bhimrao Ambedkar

's Constitution. What all wrong did they not do to the Constitution in 1976?"
When asked about his style of governance, Adityanath defended his approach, saying, "This lathi not only safeguards our sisters, daughters, businessmen but also deals with mafia and goons. Ye humara Dabang style nahi, yeh humari sharafat ka style hai."