With polling in West Bengal concluded, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a fierce attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) during a rally in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, branding it as both anti-development and anti-women. He specifically accused the SP of aligning with the DMK, which he claimed had insulted Uttar Pradesh in Parliament.
"The Samajwadi Party is both anti-development and anti-women," Modi charged while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 594-kilometer-long Ganga Expressway. The Prime Minister highlighted how the SP and its ally, the Congress, had opposed the 131st Constitutional Amendment Act, which sought to advance women's reservation in Lok Sabha and state legislatures from 2029.
Modi stated that the central government had made it clear that the number of parliamentary seats for each state would increase proportionately. "But parties like the DMK questioned why Uttar Pradesh's seats should rise, and the SP stood with them," he said. "SP leaders take your votes but stand with those who insult your state," he added, asserting that the Akhilesh Yadav-led party could never reform itself and would continue to support appeasement and criminal elements.
The Prime Minister's remarks carried significant weight amid intensifying political activity ahead of the high-stakes Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due early next year. Women's reservation has emerged as a key political issue, with parties staking out positions on its implementation. Modi further alleged that the SP remains entrenched in nepotism and casteism and would continue to pursue anti-development politics. He urged voters to remain vigilant against the SP and its allies.
Modi's comments reflected the BJP's broader strategy of pitching development politics against what it describes as the opposition's identity-based politics. The party has been mounting an aggressive counter to the SP's "Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak" (PDA) poll narrative, which is believed to have impacted the BJP's performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
"The Samajwadi Party members, who once indulged in the brazen misappropriation of resources and have since lost power, are finding the progress of Uttar Pradesh unacceptable," Modi said, accusing the opposition of conspiring to push the state back to the old days when crime and anarchy prevailed. He noted that Uttar Pradesh was the land of Ram and Krishna, but previous governments had made crime and anarchy the identity of the state.
Referring to films made on the mafia in the state, Modi contrasted that period with the incumbent BJP government, claiming that law and order in Uttar Pradesh had significantly improved and was now cited as a model by other states. Emphasizing the central government's vision, Modi said India is working towards the goal of "Viksit Bharat," with Uttar Pradesh playing a crucial role.
Alluding to the US-Iran conflict, the Prime Minister said that while the whole world was facing a geopolitical crisis, India was treading its path to development. "This is not liked by some outside forces. Likewise, some people who are craving power too are conspiring to belittle the country," he said, in an apparent broadside at the opposition. "Yet, we are not only safe but also setting new development benchmarks," he reiterated, reaffirming the government's commitment to boosting the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and expanding modern infrastructure.
