On 9th November, Samajwadi Party chief and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, got into a verbal spat with a journalist identified as Noor Kazi during his political visit to Ajaygarh, Madhya Pradesh. The confrontation unfolded when Kazi questioned Yadav about being called ‘Tonti Chor’ by CM Yogi Adityanath in 2018.
Yadav got irked by the ‘Tonti Chor’ remark and accused Kazi of being a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) agent. Furthermore, the official handle of SP branded Kazi as a criminal, questioning how he was allowed to attend the rally posing as a journalist. Yadav even told the journalist that he is wearing fake Ray-Ban glasses.
"ऐसे मत बोल चश्मा लगाए पत्रकार, बहुत गंदे पत्रकार… तुम बीजेपी के एजेंट हो बेटा… अगर बीजेपी के एजेंट नहीं होते तो इतना महंगा Ray-Ban का नकली चश्मा नहीं लगाते…"
— UP Tak (@UPTakOfficial) November 9, 2023
मध्य प्रदेश में चुनाव प्रचार के दौरान पत्रकार के 'टोंटी चोर' वाले सवाल को लेकर भड़के अखिलेश यादव, पत्रकार को बताने… pic.twitter.com/4XB92iAsBl
The altercation between Yadav and Kazi stemmed from the question posed by the latter. He had asked Yadav’s reaction to the incident where SP workers had allegedly stolen the faucets from the official Chief Minister’s residence before vacating it in 2018.
The incident caused Akhilesh Yadav to be widely labeled as ‘Tonti Chor’ in the UP political sphere.
In response to the question, Yadav vehemently labelled the journalist a ‘BJP agent’, leading to a tense verbal confrontation between the two.
In the aftermath of the incident, Kazi spoke to Aaj Tak’s local channel, MP Tak and said he might file a defamation case against Yadav. Kazi said it was unjust to label him as a BJP agent just because he was wearing expensive sunglasses. He further pointed out that his photograph was being circulated on social media, labelling him as a criminal. Kazi asserted there was no criminal case against him in any police station nationwide.
मध्य प्रदेश के अजयगढ़ में पन्ना विधानसभा की सभा में माननीय राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष श्री अखिलेश यादव जी की प्रेस वार्ता में पत्रकार के भेष में पहुंचा अपराधिक किस्म का संदिग्ध व्यक्ति।
— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) November 9, 2023
मध्य प्रदेश पुलिस जांच करे और बताए ये अपराधी प्रेस वार्ता में कहां से आया?@MPPoliceDeptt @DGP_MP pic.twitter.com/clkphVfP7H
Kazi serves as a reporter for Delhi Dabang and Vande Bharat. Responding to Yadav’s allegations, Kazi said journalist has to ask questions and “all journalists cannot be agents of the BJP. When I asked a question, I was labelled as a BJP agent.” He added, “Akhilesh Yadav questioned my glasses, and I want to clarify that I am a farmer’s son and use genuine products. I enjoy wearing glasses worth 12-15 thousand rupees.”
The ‘Tonti Chor’ saga
For those who are unaware, Akhilesh Yadav earned the moniker ‘Tonti Chor’ after he vacated a government residence in 2018. After his departure, when the government officials inspected the residence, they discovered extensive damage and missing items, including imported tiles, air conditioners and tap fittings.
The term’ Tonti Chor’ originated from the allegations against Yadav that he stole taps from the government-allocated residence before vacating. Despite denying the allegations, the nickname stuck. In a press conference, Yadav displayed taps, stating he would return them if the government could specify how many were allegedly taken by him.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mocked Yadav for extravagant spending on his government residence instead of aiding the poor, challenging his socialist image and accusing him of misusing Ram Manohar Lohia’s legacy.
Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections 2023
The voting for Madhya Pradesh Assembly Elections 2023 for all 230 Assembly seats will take place on 17th November. The counting will be held on 3rd December. Ruling BJP and Congress are the main contenders in the elections.
