LUCKNOW, March 28 -- A fresh political clash erupted in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday after Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at the BJP, saying the party prefers "durgandh" (foul smell) and is focused on building "Gaushalas" (cowsheds), while his government promoted "perfume parks."

Reacting sharply, deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya accused Yadav of being disconnected from his rural roots. "If a farmer's son finds cow dung foul-smelling, it means he has lost touch with his society. Munshi Premchand once wrote that if a farmer's son dislikes cow dung, famine is inevitable. If Akhilesh Yadav finds cow dung stinky, his party is certainly heading towards political extinction," Maurya post...