In jibe at Samajwadi Party, BJP leader likens Muslims to ‘bay leaves’ in biryani

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Brajesh Pathak sparked controversy when he compared the Muslims to “bay leaves (‘tej patta’) in biryani” and alleged that the Samajwadi Party treated the community in that manner.
Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad, famous for its biryani, Pathak said a biryani would have no taste without the bay leaves and similarly, the Samajwadi Party would throw “the bay leaves (read Muslims) out of the plate”.

“We will bring black cardamom (‘kali elaichi’), cinnamon (‘dalchini’), black pepper (‘kali mirch’), salt (‘namak’) and all other spices. But, we will also use bay leaves. We put the biryani on the stove to cook. We add the bay leaves. Biryani would not taste good without bay leaves. When biryani is served on a plate, we start eating. You tasted the black pepper, cinnamon and black cardamom, but you lick the bay leaves and keep them outside the plate,” he said.
“If the bay leaves are removed from the biryani, then it will be tasteless. Similarly, the Samajwadi Party has considered you a bay leaf. When banners are distributed, there is no trace of you in it,” he said.
Pathak accused the Samajwadi Party of betraying the Muslims and urged the community to vote against the Akhilesh Yadav-led party in the bypolls.
“This is your condition, bade miyan. Biryani was not made without you. The (Samajwadi) government was not made without you. You gave your vote. the power of the vote is yours. If you detach yourself from the Samajwadi Party, it will become a useless party and no one will care about it,” he said.
Bypolls will be held on November 20 on nine seats in Uttar Pradesh – Katehari (Ambedkar Nagar), Karhal (Mainpuri), Meerapur (Muzaffarnagar), Ghaziabad, Majhawan (Mirzapur), Sishamau (Kanpur city), Khair (Aligarh), Phulpur (Prayagraj) and Kundarki (Moradabad).
Eight of these seats fell vacant after their MLAs were elected as MPs in the Lok Sabha, while a bypoll will be held on the Sisamau seat due to the disqualification of Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki, who was convicted in a criminal case.
The counting of votes will be taken up on November 23.