Why Akhilesh Yadav Kept Repeating Kyoto In This Viral Video
In a video that has gone viral on social media, when asked how many seats the INDIA alliance will win in the state, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav replied that except for the “Kyoto seat”, they will win all 79 seats.
When asked by the media how many seats the Mahagathbandhan or INDIA alliance will win in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav replied with a smile that the alliance will win all the Lok Sabha seats with the exception of one seat. When probed by the media, he replied, “Ek ladai mein hai Kyoto, (Kyoto seat is in fight)” as the reporters laughed.
Even when the media person asked, “Varanasi?” The SP chief jokingly repeated, “Woh Kyoto hai (it’s Kyoto).”
Hadd hai yaar 😂 #PollHumour pic.twitter.com/knDlQeebKb
— PuNsTeR™ (@Pun_Starr) May 13, 2024
This isn’t the first time the SP chief took a jibe at the BJP. Last year, while criticising the state government after roads in Varanasi were flooded with water after heavy rain, Yadav said, “The government showed people rosy dreams of turning Prime Minister’s constituency Varanasi into Kyoto, but instead of Kyoto, Varanasi has turned into Venice as roads are submerged all across the city.”
What Is The Kyoto-Varanasi Connect?
Following a visit by PM Modi to Japan’s Kyoto for a 5-day bilateral meeting with then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a Kyoto-Varanasi Partner City agreement was signed in 2014.
Based on the agreement, the plan was to transform Varanasi into a smart city like Kyoto after several similarities between the two cities were brought out. While for both cities, tourism is primary, they also have three rivers flowing through them. Additionally, while Varanasi is known as the temple town, Kyoto is also a place of pilgrimage, often referred to as the city of 10,000 shrines.
However, while similarities do exist between the two cities, they are also quite different from each other. Varanasi’s polluted rivers, sewage drains, and water shortage sharply contrast with the efficient waterways and clean roads.
After filing his nomination for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, PM Modi promised to expedite the developmental projects in the holy city in the next five years. “The pace of work will get even faster in the times to come,” he promised in an X post.
