Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in a recent interview, calling them responsible for Congress’ ‘ruin’.

Speaking to news agency ANI, he said, “The siblings (Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) are enough to ruin the Congress. No one else is needed for that.”

The comments come ahead of UP entering phase two of its Assembly Elections 2022. “I am confident that after the first phase of Assembly elections, the scenario has become clear that BJP will form the govt again in UP with an overwhelming majority. There should not be an iota of doubt about it,” he said, adding that a ‘gloomy environment’ prevails in Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and Congress camps.

Also read: Uttar Pradesh elections 2022: Full list of voting dates for all constituencies

In the interview spanning about 30 minutes, the Chief Minister made remarks about several ongoing issues, including the hijab row in Karnataka. 

“The system should run as per the Constitution. We can’t impose our personal religious beliefs & choices on the country and its institutions. Can I ask all employees in UP to wear ‘bhagwa’? Dress code must be enforced in schools,” the BJP leader said, as the Karnataka High Court court hears petitions from Muslim students protesting for their right to wear the hijab in classrooms.

Also Read: Arvind Kejriwal, Yogi Adityanath indulge in late-night Twitter spat after PM Modi’s Parliament speech

On AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s remark that a ‘hijab-clad woman will become PM one day’, Adityanath brought up the scrapping up of triple talaq, “PM has scrapped triple talaq to free that daughter, to give her rights and respect she’s entitled to. To ensure respect to that daughter we say the system won’t be run as per Shariat but Constitution.”

Meanwhile, voting for phase two of the UP assembly elections began on February 14. The state will vote in seven phases, with the last round on March 3.

Results will be declared on March 10, along with those for elections in four other states, including neighbouring Uttarakhand.  

Also Read: SP field Subhawati Shukla against Yogi Adityanath for upcoming UP polls

The BJP had won 312 of UP’s 403 assembly seats in 2017, earning an absolute majority in the Vidhan Sabha or state assembly and ousting the Samajwadi Party.