During a media conclave, a question on his income from an audience member triggered a sharp reaction from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. When asked about changes in his family’s income during his political career, Yadav responded with frustration, asking the person to “stop the bulls**t” and “go to the CBI.”
A video of Yadav’s heated response has quickly gone viral. In the footage, Yadav can be heard saying, “I have been under the CBI’s investigation for 20 years. So if you have to check my balance sheet, go to the CBI office and the income tax office.”
Yadav, who was a guest at the event, asked the audience member to direct their inquiries to the CBI and the Income Tax department, while also criticising them for getting their facts wrong.
He then said, “Whether you ask me about my income or not, please do ask those people their income who say that mein apna jhola lekar chala jaunga (I will leave with my bag).”
This remark seemed to be a jab at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s self-description at a rally, where he referred to himself as a “fakir” with no belongings.
Yadav and his fellow panelists also questioned why his income was under scrutiny during a discussion meant to focus on India’s growth vision.
The Kannauj MP emphasised the need to review India’s economic transactions with China, highlighting a lack of opportunities for domestic traders due to excessive imports. “Traders in our country are not able to develop because we are importing from China, why are we doing business with China – show me those numbers,” he said.
In the 2024 general elections, Yadav declared assets worth Rs 26.34 crore, while his wife, Dimple Yadav, the MP from Mainpuri, declared assets exceeding Rs 15 crore in their election affidavits. Their combined declared wealth amounts to around Rs 41 crore.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister is currently under investigation in several cases led by the CBI, including a 2007 disproportionate assets case involving himself and his late father, Mulayam Singh Yadav. In February 2024, the CBI summoned Yadav as a witness in an illegal mining case, related to alleged irregularities in issuing mining leases and bypassing the mandatory e-tendering process, following an order from the Allahabad High Court.
