Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chowdhary hit back at SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav on Friday for his remarks describing those associated with the saffron party as "demons", saying they do not need a certificate from people who have been patrons of demons, such as terrorists and criminals.

Inaugurating a two-day training camp for party workers in Sitapur earlier in the day, Yadav, the chief general secretary of the Samajwadi Party (SP), said, "This training camp in Naimisharanya is the beginning of destruction of demons and those associated with the BJP are no less than demons." Reacting to Yadav's statement, Chowdhary said, "The BJP does not need any certificate from people who have been patrons of demons like mafia, criminals and terrorists." The state unit chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also said "the public has understood the truth of the people running a family-based party in the name of socialism".

"Under their misrule, corruption, crime, unsafe women, oppression of the poor, exploitation had become the identity of Uttar Pradesh. Today, the criminals who are lodged in jails used to roam freely under their misrule," he added.

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