BJP practising politics of hatred, misusing power to tarnish opposition: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow, Jun 19 (PTI) Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday accused the BJP of indulging in “politics of hatred” and misusing power to tarnish the image of the opposition leaders.

Addressing party leaders and workers from various districts at the Samajwadi Party headquarters here, Yadav alleged that the BJP is adopting undemocratic and authoritarian practices, attempting to bring democratic and constitutional institutions under its control, a party statement said.

“BJP is indulging in politics of hatred and misusing power to tarnish the image of the opposition leaders. The BJP government has completely ruined law and order, education, healthcare, and power infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. Corruption is at its peak in every department, loot is rampant, and the public is left unheard and helpless,” the former chief minister said.

Yadav also criticised the economic policies of the BJP-led Central government, claiming they have hurt the industry and trade.

“When in opposition, the BJP and RSS talked about Swadeshi and gave long speeches. But after coming to power, they framed policies that flooded Indian markets with foreign goods, especially Chinese products, destroying the country’s small and cottage industries,” he said.

On inflation and unemployment, Yadav said the BJP has no solution for the real problems faced by the people.

“They want to remain in power by spreading hatred in the society. Development, jobs, education, and healthcare have no place in their agenda,” he alleged.

Recalling the “achievements” of the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav said the state saw extensive development during his tenure.

“From launching Metro projects in cities like Lucknow to building India’s finest Agra-Lucknow Expressway, we worked for progress. We established the Ekana international cricket stadium, IT City, cancer institutes, and medical colleges. We increased power generation with new plants in Kanpur, Etah and Lalitpur,” Yadav said.

Yadav also highlighted initiatives such as distributing laptops to students, the 1090 Women Power Line for women''s safety, and ambulance services 108 and 102. “We built the Lok Bhavan as the chief minister’s new office and created a signature building for the police headquarters in Lucknow,” he said.

“Development has come to a halt in the state under BJP, and corruption has become rampant. Projects such as the Purvanchal, Bundelkhand and Gorakhpur Link expressways have been mired in corruption. Over Rs 7,000 crore has been squandered in the 90-km Gorakhpur Link project alone,” he claimed.

Expressing concern over the law and order situation, Yadav said, “Criminals are committing murders openly, even near police stations. The state is gripped by lawlessness. The government's so-called zero tolerance on crime has become a joke. If all criminals have fled the state, who are these people being shot (in police encounters) every day? Women and girls are not safe.” Calling the BJP government “anti-people”, Yadav appealed to the people to remove it from power in the 2027 Assembly elections.

“Only then can Uttar Pradesh be freed from misgovernance and get back on the path of development,” he claimed. PTI ABN ARI