Giriraj Singh slams Priyanka Gandhi, says "Yogi not merely a saffron-clad saint"

With the uproar over Priyanka Gandhi's saffron remark on Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Monday said that Adityanath has been following the tradition of a sanyasi (sage) and he is not a merely saffron-clad saint. Earlier, Priyanka Vadra addressed a press conference in Lucknow, where she remarked, "Saffron denoted Hinduism, not violence". This was a dig at the UP CM for the alleged atrocities perpetrated on people by the state police.

"Yogi Adityanath comes from a long tradition of a sanyasi and he is not 'bagwa dhari.' And Saffron is the soul of India and nobody can easily confine it in words," said Singh.

This comes after earlier on Monday, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a press conference had cited India's deep-rooted connection with the saffron while cornering Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath over his 'revenge' remark. In a scathing attack, Adityanath responded by saying that those people who have got the politics in legacy would not understand the meaning of people's service.

Singh further accused Congress of stating Saffron as a symbol of terrorism and abusing it over the years on several occasion.

"It has been in the tradition of "sanatan" to show the direction to the society. And in that tradition, Yogi Adityanath is 'saffron saint' who is paving the way for the state of Uttar Pradesh," he added.

READ: 'Congress is behind all the chaos': UP Min Mohsin Raza slams Priyanka Vadra's statements

READ: After Priyanka Vadra's 'Saffron' jibe, Yogi Adityanath defends the usage of punishment

Priyanka Vadra slams Yogi Adityanath

Priyanka Vadra's saffron jibe was aimed at Adityanath's 'revenge' comment. On December 19, CM Yogi Adityanath stated that those responsible for the violence had been identified. He added that 'revenge will be taken from them' and that their properties will be seized and auctioned to compensate. His government has since then issued notice to 498 'vandals' and soon the police will identify the protesters and recover the losses. This was a dig at the UP CM for the alleged atrocities perpetrated on people by the state police. On December 28, Priyanka Vadra claimed that the Uttar Pradesh police had physically assaulted her when she was on the way to meet the family members of former IPS officer SR Darapuri, who has been detained in the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. 

READ: Shahnawaz Hussain criticises Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over her alleged assault

READ: UP Dy CM Dinesh Sharma hits back at Priyanka Vadra over saffron remark

(with ANI inputs)