Meerut: As his Satta Parivartan Yatra reached Meerut on Friday, Azad Samaj Party (Kanshiram) national president and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad asserted that Uttar Pradesh would witness a change in power in 2027. The yatra began on Thursday evening from Dhampur tehsil in Bijnor district.
32-Point Agenda Unveiled
Addressing the media before the yatra began, Azad unveiled a comprehensive 32-point agenda and strongly criticized the state government over several issues, including law and order, unemployment, and women's safety. He emphasized that the youth, despite being the state's largest demographic group, were also the most dissatisfied. "Paper leaks are rampant, recruitment scams are common, and the youth are being failed," he stated.
Law and Order Concerns
Referring to the tragic case of national-level athlete Anushka Pal, whose body was recovered 44 days after she went missing in Meerut, Azad said the incident reflected the "failure of the Yogi Adityanath government" on law and order. "If this is what happens to a national player, one can imagine the plight of an ordinary woman," he remarked.
Key Priorities
On his party's agenda, Azad highlighted several key priorities. Free education from Class 1 to 12 would be a top priority. He also advocated for affordable healthcare, job creation for youth, an end to paper leaks, and filling backlog vacancies. "Our government will ensure every child gets quality education without any financial burden," he added.
Attack on CM Yogi Adityanath
Launching a sharp attack on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his recent remarks regarding demands to declare the cow as 'Rashtra Mata', Azad said, "As an MP, Yogi Adityanath used to demand national mother status for cows in 2015. Now, after taking huge donations from beef companies, you have made India the largest beef exporter while also using cows to trigger violence in the state. If you stop doing that now, it will compromise your politics, and that is why you are not declaring it."
Women's Reservation and Liquor Ban
Azad said his party supports 50% reservation for women instead of the proposed 33%. He alleged that women had been "misled into believing" that the opposition was against the reservation, whereas the legislation had already been passed in 2023 and could be implemented by the Centre at any time. He also backed a complete ban on liquor, stating that alcohol-related accidents destroy families and claim several lives. "The youth of this state will not be allowed to be ruined by alcohol," he asserted.
Opposition to EVMs
Azad reiterated his opposition to electronic voting machines and said his party would "strangle" the machines and form government only through ballot paper elections. "EVMs are prone to manipulation and we will not accept any election conducted with them," he declared.
Political Alliances
On the question of political alliances, Azad clarified, "Our alliance will be with the public — that is why we are carrying out this yatra instead of holding a big rally and walking away." He emphasized the importance of direct engagement with the people to understand their concerns and build a movement for change.
