LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) President Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday launched an attack on the Uttar Pradesh government over a range of issues, including the alleged Ram Temple offerings theft case, law and order, fertiliser availability for farmers, healthcare services, and road construction projects.
He alleged that the BJP government's tenure had been marked by corruption, administrative failures, and an erosion of public trust.
Addressing a Prabuddhjan Sammelan organised after paying floral tributes to socialist leader Janeshwar Mishra on his birth anniversary, Akhilesh Yadav sharply criticised the government over the alleged irregularities involving donations offered at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
He described the matter as extremely serious, saying that instead of answering questions raised over the alleged misappropriation of offerings made in the name of Lord Ram, authorities were now seeking receipts from donors.
He said that the tradition of seeking receipts for religious donations had never been part of Hindu customs and accused the government of targeting lower-level employees instead of fixing accountability.
The SP chief alleged that if there was any "great sin" committed in the matter, it was by the BJP. He said that a party which claimed to champion faith and religious values had failed to ensure the protection of offerings made by devotees at the Ram Temple.
Turning to farmers' issues, Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the state's fertiliser distribution system had collapsed. He alleged that while the quantity of fertiliser supplied in bags had earlier been reduced, farmers were now struggling even to obtain full bags. According to him, farmers are being forced to stand in long queues despite the government's claims that there is no shortage of the key input.
He also questioned the state's law-and-order situation and police functioning. Akhilesh Yadav said that the primary role of the police should be to ensure public safety, but allegations and concerns regarding police actions continued to emerge.
He maintained that the previous Samajwadi Party government had developed a modern police response system and claimed that the current administration had failed to strengthen it further.
Targeting healthcare services, the SP leader said that the state's Health Department itself was in need of treatment. He alleged that conditions in government hospitals had steadily deteriorated, depriving ordinary citizens of quality medical care.
Akhilesh Yadav also raised concerns over the quality of road infrastructure projects. Referring to roads in Kanpur and Gorakhpur as well as the Ganga Expressway project, he alleged that despite heavy expenditure, quality standards had not been maintained and several projects had begun showing deficiencies at an early stage.
Claiming that the BJP government had lost the confidence of youth, farmers and various social groups, he said that young people, particularly those active on social media, were increasingly questioning government policies and that this sentiment would be reflected in future elections.
At the conference organised with a focus on the Brahmin community, Akhilesh Yadav asserted that the Samajwadi Party believed in providing respect and representation to all sections of society.
He alleged that several social groups had faced injustice under the current dispensation and promised that such cases would be investigated if his party returned to power.
Former minister Abhishek Mishra, who was also present at the event, called for an inquiry into alleged fake encounter cases.
Earlier in the day, Akhilesh Yadav visited Janeshwar Mishra Park in Lucknow and paid tribute to the late socialist thinker.
A large number of party workers gathered to welcome him, leading to brief jostling amid the crowd before security personnel escorted him to the statue site.
