If I'm murdered, Akhilesh Yadav will be responsible: UP MLA
Pooja Pal, a three-time MLA from Uttar Pradesh, has openly accused Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav of being responsible if anything happens to her.
In a recent interview, she said, "If I am murdered, the real culprit will be Akhilesh Yadav."
She also claimed the party is protecting those involved in her husband's 2005 murder and raised concerns about caste discrimination within SP.
SP accused of protecting Raju Pal's killers
Pal was expelled from SP after praising Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and allegedly voting for BJP.
She now says SP is shielding her husband Raju Pal's killers and that Akhilesh Yadav is "behind all this."
She also accused the party of favoring Muslims over Dalits and backward castes.
Who is Pooja Pal?
Pooja Pal first entered politics with the BSP before joining SP in 2019.
Her husband Raju Pal was murdered in 2005 by associates of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed.
Since then, she's been vocal about seeking justice and often criticizes SP for not doing enough.
Ongoing tensions in SP
Pal says SP treats Dalits and backward castes like second-class citizens—a claim that adds to ongoing tensions inside the party.
Her statements have deepened rifts at a time when internal strife was already brewing within SP.