Lucknow: Calling the caste census a major victory for the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) communities, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday lashed out at the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh accusing the ruling party of deep-rooted corruption and systemic failure.
Addressing a gathering of the Chauhan community in Lucknow, Yadav appeared in a combative mood. Supporters crowned him on stage and presented him with a sword and a mace. In a symbolic gesture, Yadav unsheathed the sword and raised the mace, drawing applause from the crowd.
Later, at a press conference, he said the caste census was a triumph for social justice and a result of sustained pressure from the SP. “This is a historic opportunity. The PDA family must remain united so there is no rigging. This time, BJP’s ‘400 paar’ will not succeed in 403 constituencies,” he said.
Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Yogi Adityanath government, accusing it of shielding corruption and failing to act on scams. “Ask them questions and they throw away their turbans. The paddy procurement scam ran into crores. Money was transferred to accounts in other states and withdrawn by officials. No action was taken because BJP people were involved,” he alleged.
He also mentioned irregularities in the procurement of peanuts in Bundelkhand, claiming that middlemen and BJP functionaries manipulated the system to deprive farmers of fair prices. “Farmers are being humiliated repeatedly. Even when they sell in the open market, the government doesn’t want to pay fair prices,” he said.
Referring to a fire incident at a bakery in Lucknow that killed two people, Yadav said it exposed the depth of corruption in fire safety enforcement.
He took a swipe at former cricketer Kapil Dev’s recent visit to Lucknow, alleging the government brought him to gain popularity. “They brought Kapil Dev to shine themselves. But he left after praising our work. Even plaques with my name at the police headquarters were removed out of insecurity,” Yadav said.