SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav Slams UP Governor's Address as 'Falsehood Celebration'

SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav Slams UP Governor's Address as 'Falsehood Celebration'

In a scathing critique, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday dismissed Governor Anandiben Patel's speech at the joint session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly as a mere showcase of statistics and claims that fail to address the state's pressing economic challenges. The former chief minister asserted that the address offered no concrete promises to alter the ground reality in Uttar Pradesh.

Accusations of Corruption and Broken Trust

Akhilesh Yadav described the governor's address as "a celebration of falsehood propelled by a government which stands neck deep in corruption." He argued that the people of Uttar Pradesh are no longer swayed by tall claims of prosperity and development that exist only on paper in government files. "The BJP government has only breached the trust and faith of the people and damaged harmony," he stated, emphasizing a perceived disconnect between official rhetoric and actual progress.

Criticism of Infrastructure and Development

The SP leader accused the BJP government of disrupting the pace of progress initiated during his tenure from 2012 to 2017. He highlighted specific infrastructure shortcomings:

• Lucknow Metro: Akhilesh claimed that the metro project has not advanced an inch since 2017.
• Expressways: He pointed out that the current government has failed to build any expressway meeting the international standards of the Lucknow-Agra Expressway developed under his administration.

Concerns Over Crime, Employment, and Agriculture

Akhilesh Yadav launched a broadside against the government on multiple fronts, alleging widespread issues across the state:

1. Law and Order: He stated that lawlessness is prevailing, with a rising crime rate.
2. Employment: The SP chief lamented that youth lack job opportunities, accusing the BJP of halting recruitment drives under various pretexts to avoid giving jobs while maintaining false hopes.
3. Agricultural Distress: Farmers are in distress, and industries are shutting down, with investment efforts reduced to high-profile events rather than substantive action.

Silence on Education and Health Sectors

Akhilesh criticized the governor's address for being silent on measures to reform the education and health sectors, which he described as being in disarray. He noted that instead of addressing outstanding payments for cane growers, the focus was on past expenditures. "Schools have been shut in large numbers because the BJP does not want children to get educated and ask questions," he alleged, underscoring a perceived neglect of critical social services.

Economic Survey Report Controversy

Adding to the criticism, Samajwadi Party MLA Sangram Singh Yadav accused the BJP government of bypassing norms by presenting the Economic Survey Report merely to generate headlines. He claimed the report was a word-for-word repeat of the governor's address, calling it an exercise in publicity rather than serious legislative work. "Whatever the Governor said in her address was repeated word for word by the finance minister," Sangram Singh stated.

He demanded a detailed discussion on the report's contents to separate facts from falsehood, asserting that such a debate is necessary to scrutinize the government's claims. SP legislators also objected to the timing and manner of the report's introduction, arguing that the Business Advisory Committee was not informed in advance, which they said undermines parliamentary conventions and reduces the process to a publicity-driven announcement.