Adityanath calls SP 'gang of dacoits', demands apology over exchequer 'loot'

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) on Saturday, calling it a "gang of dacoits" and demanding that party president Akhilesh Yadav apologise to the public for the alleged "loot" of the state exchequer during his tenure.

Speaking at a ceremony in Deoria, where he laid the foundation stones for 80 development projects worth over ₹305 crore, Adityanath said the state has moved past its earlier reputation of poor governance and insecurity.

"SP means loot and extortion, SP means a gang of dacoits," the Chief Minister said, while referring to alleged corruption in the construction of the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) in Lucknow. He asserted that Yadav should seek forgiveness for the financial wrongdoing committed "for his indulgence."

Adityanath claimed that before 2017, a "parallel government of mafias" operated in the state. He credited the current administration with transforming Uttar Pradesh's image, noting that it is no longer referred to as a "BIMARU" state — a term coined by demographer Ashish Bose in the 1980s for Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

The Chief Minister also highlighted improvements in law and order, stating that those who threaten the safety of women and traders now face severe consequences. "Mafias have been reduced to dust. Those who breach the security of daughters and traders have only two places to go — they are either in jail or in hell," he said.

Emphasising the importance of electing capable representatives, Adityanath said the current wave of development, prosperity, and employment is the result of public support for good governance. He contrasted the present with the pre-2017 era, which he said lacked development, security, and basic amenities such as housing, toilets, LPG connections, electricity, and roads for the poor.

Addressing the issue of encephalitis, the Chief Minister noted that the period from July 15 to November 15 once brought fear to districts including Deoria, Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Siddharthnagar, Kushinagar, Sant Kabir Nagar, and Basti. He blamed the SP and Congress governments for the deaths of 50,000 children over four decades, saying no leader from either party visited the affected regions.

Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, Minister of State for Rural Development Vijay Lakshmi Gautam, and MLAs Shalabh Mani Tripathi and Sabha Kunwar Kushwaha were among those present at the event.