Lucknow, February 22 Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav alleged on Sunday that corruption and poor governance have intensified in Uttar Pradesh, while asserting that "as suffering increases, the PDA will grow stronger".
PDA is an acronym used by SP leaders to refer to backward (pichhde), Dalit and minority (alpsankhyak) communities.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Yadav questioned the BJP government's development claims, saying, "We are unable to find development. Where is it? The pipelines being laid are pipelines of corruption."
He alleged irregularities in infrastructure projects, claiming that water tanks are bursting due to poor-quality work and that corruption is visible on the ground.
Taking a swipe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's proposed visit to Japan later this month, Yadav said, "I have heard that the chief minister is going to Japan but is not going to Kyoto. He should go there and see what is to be done here and what he has not been able to do in the last 10 years."
After coming to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2014, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had announced that Varanasi would be transformed into a Kyoto-style city.
Referring to the BJP-led Centre's ambitious projects, Yadav said the cost of the proposed bullet train has escalated sharply from the initial estimate.
Apparently hinting at a tussle between the two deputy chief ministers and the chief minister, without naming anyone, Yadav said, "Today, when he (the chief minister) has flown out of India, we are making an offer -- bring 100 MLAs and become the chief minister. Both of them (the deputy chief ministers) share the same ambition. Whoever manages to bring the numbers will get the reward. The offer is open for a week."
Adityanath embarked on a four-day visit to Singapore and Japan on Sunday.
Yadav also accused the BJP of spreading hatred through social media by circulating "fake videos" and alleged that attempts were made in the past to incite communal tension for electoral gains.
He further alleged that the security covers of opposition leaders are being withdrawn as part of a political strategy to "demoralise and insult" them.
On religious matters, Yadav criticised the state government over a recent FIR against Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati. He alleged that Saraswati was prevented from taking a holy dip during the Magh Mela and added that such actions are unprecedented in the country's spiritual traditions.
The FIR against Saraswati and his disciple, Mukundanand Brahmachari, has been lodged in Prayagraj over allegations of sexual abuse of a minor and another person over the last one year, including during the Magh Mela.
The action was taken on Saturday after an order passed earlier in the day by the special judge of a POCSO court directed that a case be registered on an application moved by Ashutosh Brahmachari Maharaj and others.
Speaking on technology and artificial intelligence (AI), Yadav said innovations and startups should focus on solving people's real problems rather than serving as slogans.
He accused the Uttar Pradesh government of re-branding industrial policies initiated during the previous SP regime in the state, particularly in Noida, and claimed that fresh investments are not visible on the ground.
Alleging environmental neglect, the former chief minister said the health of rivers, such as the Gomti, is deteriorating due to industrial waste and sewage discharge. He claimed that river-cleaning initiatives launched during the SP government have been halted.
"As the sufferings of the people rise, our PDA movement will expand," Yadav said, adding that the SP would continue to make efforts to unite people to "protect democracy and the secular fabric of the society".