Uttar Pradesh: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday that he has never done caste politics and the biggest example of this is his wife, Dimple Yadav, who belongs to another caste.

In an interview to India Today TV, Akhilesh Yadav said that he formed an alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the 2019 Lok Sabha election to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from coming to power.

Akhilesh Yadav also claimed the BJP is disturbed since his party has formed an alliance with the BSP. He said that the alliance was formed to stop the BJP from winning Uttar Pradesh and that’s why “BJP is raising the caste and religion”. “The public is smart and their [BJP] strategy would not work this time,” he said.

Speaking more on caste politics, Akhilesh Yadav said he never believed and would never believe in caste and religion. He said that the biggest proof of this is his marriage. “Dimple is from another caste and I am from another caste,” he said.

“I am not a casteist,” Akhilesh Yadav said, adding, “We both got married after breaking the wall of casteism.”

When Akhilesh Yadav was asked why did he create a Yadav regiment if he did not believe in caste, he said, “I once visited Gujarat where I met the people from Ahir community who demanded an Ahir regiment.” He also said that he wants to make a Gujarat regiment as well.

Responding to the caste politics question, Dimple Yadav asked why can’t there be a Yadav regiment. Dimple Yadav said that she is from Garhwal and people know very well about the Garhwal regiment.

“In the same way, if a Yadav regiment is created then there should not be a problem. I cannot see its connection with any caste,” Dimple Yadav said.