Hardoi (Uttar Pradesh), May 8 (IANS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Wednesday, slammed Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav for having called Pakistan founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah a 'great' leader in the past.

Addressing a rally in Hardoi, HM Shah recalled that, in 2021, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister had said during the unveiling ceremony of the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that Jinnah was a 'great leader'.

"Akhilesh Yadav should read history because it was Jinnah who was responsible for the division of India. Akhilesh is making such statements only because of vote bank politics. Should you vote for such people?" the Home Minister wondered.

He also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for taking a break every summer and going abroad.

"Rahul Baba goes to Thailand when temperatures increase here but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not taken a break in 23 years. The total scam value of INDIA bloc members is Rs 12 lakh crore whereas no one can blame PM Modi for even any small corruption in 23 years. A personal secretary of a Jharkhand minister stashed Rs 30 crore in his house, a Congress MP has Rs 350 crore and a (former) minister in the Mamata Banerjee government had Rs 50 crore," HM Amit Shah said.

The Union Minister further said: "Rahul Baba went to Wayanad from Amethi and then came to Raebareli. From Raebareli, he will go straight to Italy."

HM Amit Shah also asked the people to reach Delhi on June 4 with the famous 'laddoos' from Sandila as the NDA has already crossed 190 seats in the first three phases of Lok Sabha polls.

Stating that the Samajwadi Party and the Congress would be swept away completely in these elections, HM Shah accused Rahul Gandhi of furthering the agenda of Pakistan which is why the leaders of neighbouring nation have been praising him.