Sonia shouldn't attend Yogi's oath ceremony, it sends wrong message to minority: Cong leader

New Delhi, Mar 19: Senior Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Saturday claimed that Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi should not attend the oath-taking ceremony of Yogi Adityanath as the Chief Minister of India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh.

"Sonia Gandhi should not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Yogi Adityanath because it will send a wrong message to the minority community," Rashid Alvi is quoted as saying by ANI.

Apart from Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati from the opposition parties have been invited for the ceremony which is likely to take place on March 25.

The Congress leader further stated that not just Sonia Gandhi, Rahul and Priyanka too should skip the event."Adityanath has only spread hatred in Uttar Pradesh in the last five years during his tenure. He won the elections because of 80 versus 20 slogans. He was only talking about running 'bulldozers'. Therefore, any leader who believes in the tradition, values or culture of India should not attend the swearing-in ceremony of Adityanath," said Alvi.

Adityanath will be the first Chief Minister in the last 37 years to return to power after completing a full term in the state. The BJP emerged victorious in the polls by winning 255 seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the BJP national president JP Nadda are among the list of invitees scheduled to attend the oath-taking ceremony, said sources. Beneficiaries of various central and state-run welfare schemes have also been invited to the oath-taking ceremony with a special focus on women beneficiaries.