Lucknow, March 28 Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused the BJP-led state government of undertaking large-scale infrastructure projects primarily to benefit select contractors, pointing out that six out of the seven airports inaugurated in recent years were non-functional on the day the Noida International Airport commenced operations.
"Look at the BJP's corrupt management: six out of seven new airports are shut," Yadav said on X.
He also questioned the condition of the remaining airports, and shared a news video from last year, which alleged that scheduled flight operations at several newly opened airports have been discontinued.
Among the airports mentioned in the video are those in Chitrakoot, Azamgarh, Shravasti, Moradabad, Aligarh and Kushinagar, which was opened as an international airport but has not seen any regular international service.
Yadav alleged that the BJP government is spending billions on construction only to hand out contracts to their cronies and share the profits.
"They have no intention of actually running any airport, nor flying planes under the UDAN scheme -- they're in it only to make money," he alleged.
Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government said that the state has 16 operational airports and eight under construction.
In another post on X, Yadav responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks while inaugurating the Noida International Airport in Jewar, where he accused the Samajwadi Party of turning Noida into an "ATM for loot" during its tenure.
Sharing an image of the prime minister with his comment, Yadav wrote, "He has come to our state as a guest, and we will bid him farewell with the respect we give to a guest. One should not take offence at the words of someone who is on his way out."
"When defeat becomes evident, a person loses control over both his words and the dignity of the position he holds," the post said, adding that respecting one's age and position is part of his party's culture and it would continue to remain so.