NEW DELHI: Several posters targeting Samajwadi Party (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and party chief Akhilesh Yadav were displayed across several parts of Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, triggering a political row. The Samajwadi Party accused the BJP and its allies of trying to inflame communal sentiments by labelling them as ‘anti-social elements’, while Uttar Pradesh minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar defended the posters, calling them ‘appropriate’. The posters were later removed following the controversy. The posters, displayed in Lucknow, Mathura, Sitapur, Barabanki and other places, carried the slogan “Dil mein Babar, munh mein Ram” (Babar in the heart, Ram on the lips). They showed Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav wearing caps commonly associated with the Muslim community. The identity of those behind the posters is yet to be established, PTI reported. The controversy comes amid an ongoing political battle over the alleged embezzlement of Ram temple donation funds in Ayodhya, an issue that has dominated political exchanges in recent weeks.In Sitapur, SP workers removed the posters after they were put up near the highway and Kanshiram Colony on the bypass.Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria personally removed one of the hoardings along with party workers and termed the incident ‘an act of cowardice.’“This is the second time such hoardings have appeared. I firmly believe the BJP is behind this. Wherever such posters are found, they should be torn down and burnt,” Bhadauria said.In Mathura, SP district president Virendra Yadav alleged that ‘anti-social elements’ were trying to disturb communal harmony.“The BJP is so rattled that it has no option except to indulge in Hindu-Muslim politics and inflame religious sentiments. They have been completely exposed in the Ram temple donation case,” he alleged.He appealed to party workers and the public to maintain peace and demanded that the administration identify those responsible through CCTV footage and take strict legal action.Senior SP leader Pradeep Chaudhary said the party would file an FIR.“We will examine the CCTV footage and identify those involved in this mischief. This is a conspiracy to disturb peace and harmony,” he said.Another senior SP leader, Ashok Agrawal, alleged that the posters were meant to divert attention from the alleged irregularities in Ram temple donations.“Akhilesh Yadav is a deeply religious person. Voters are aware now and cannot be misled,” he said.Congress leader Pradeep Mathur also demanded an inquiry, alleging that the BJP and the RSS were trying to divert attention after being “exposed” in the Ram temple donation controversy.In Barabanki, SP workers removed similar hoardings after they appeared at a prominent city intersection.SP leader Taj Baba Rain described the incident as a conspiracy to tarnish the party’s image and disturb social harmony.Kotwali police station in-charge Sudhir Singh said the hoardings had been seized and an investigation launched.“CCTV footage is being examined. An FIR will be registered after receiving a complaint, and action will be taken against those responsible,” he said.Responding to the controversy, Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar defended the posters.“The posters are appropriate. If you look at the parliamentary proceedings after the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Ram Gopal Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav repeatedly said they took responsibility for ordering firing on kar sevaks. They had also said that even if Hindus did not vote for them, they would stand for the protection of Muslims. These posters are a response to those statements,” Rajbhar told PTI.SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma accused the BJP of reviving the Babri Masjid issue to distract people from real concerns.“The BJP and its associates repeatedly rake up the Babri Masjid issue to polarise society and distract people from unemployment, inflation, paper leaks and rising petrol and diesel prices. If people start focusing on these issues, the BJP will collapse politically. The issues of 1992 have no relevance today,” he said.Meanwhile, SP leader Pawan Pandey alleged that the posters were an attempt to divert attention from the Ram temple donation controversy.“This reflects the character of the BJP. After being exposed over the Ram Temple donation row, they have been left embarrassed before the entire country and the world. People associated with the RSS, VHP and BJP looted donations meant for Lord Ram’s temple. They have been disgraced and are no longer in a position to face the public,” he said.Reacting to the controversy, BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told IANS, “As the elections draw closer, old statements and old posters will be brought out. Everyone’s past statements and posters will resurface.”Police in the districts concerned said CCTV footage was being examined and legal action would be taken once those responsible for putting up the posters were identified.