Lucknow, Oct 10 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday supported Rahul Gandhi's remark accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of doing 'dalali' over the blood shed by Indian soldiers, saying the Congress Vice President must have his reasons for his comments.

"If he (Gandhi) has said that, he must have said it after due thinking...he must have his reasons," Akhilesh Yadav said in reply to media queries on Gandhi's remark. 

"I visited some of the martyrs' houses... it is the poor who are dying. What do they know about surgical strikes?" he said, asserting he shares cordial relations with the Congress leader.

Addressing a rally last week, Gandhi had accused Modi of taking political mileage from the surgical strikes saying the Prime Minister was seeking to "profit" from the blood shed by Indian soldiers.

The Bharatiya Janata Party termed Akhilesh Yadav's defence of Gandhi as unfortunate. 

"Its unfortunate.. political parties should refrain from indulging in politics over the armed forces. I think he (Yadav) should desist from defending such comments," said BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi.