"Happened to us thrice...": SP chief Akhilesh Yadav recalls "purification" incidents amid Kharge row

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday recounted how his own official residence and a temple he visited in Kannauj were "purified" with Ganga water by political opponents after his departure. "We ourselves are victims; this has happened to us three times. In Kannauj, a temple was washed with Ganga water after our visit, and our own home was washed with Ganga water. We are positive and progressive people, and we would never do such a thing. We will take the State forward," the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said. Yadav's remarks comes amid the ongoing controversy over the "purification" ritual, which had erupted on August 8…