LUCKNOW Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday termed the Samajwadi Party a “shraap (curse)” for Uttar Pradesh, alleging that whenever the party came to power, it only brought chaos. He said the younger generation had not witnessed the “misrule” of SP and the youth should know this from elders in their family.
“Ask your elders what a curfew is and what disturbances are. Ask them how homes of the poor were looted, how rights of the poor were robbed, how employment opportunities of young people were plundered and how safety of women and daughters was compromised. SP is a curse for the state,” he said addressing a public meeting after launching development projects worth over ₹ 520 crore for Mankapur and Gaura assembly constituencies in Gonda.
The CM also alleged that during the SP government’s tenure, devotees wishing to worship Maa Durga in their homes also faced opposition, with complaints being filed against such practices. “SP government did not allow Kanwar Yatra to pass through western UP. We advanced Ayodhya’s development and, through Deepotsav, ensured that the development generated by the lamps lit in the sacred land of Lord Ram would reach Gonda as well.”
They created obstacles to festival observance and celebrations,” he said, adding, this year, 4.5 crore devotees participated in Kanwar Yatra between Ghaziabad and Haridwar. Referring to an incident of November 2, 1990, he said on this day, during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement in Ayodhya, the then Samajwadi Party government opened fire on Ram devotees, leaving them bloodied.
He also accused the previous SP government of “restricting religious practices” and preventing festivals in the state, alleging that it did not allow the Kanwar Yatra and celebrations in western Uttar Pradesh. Adityanath said the BJP stood for respecting faith, while SP and Congress supported crime. “They bring criminals; we bring change,” he said. Contrasting the previous government’s approach with the development initiatives undertaken by his government, the CM highlighted the transformation of Ayodhya and said the Deepotsav celebrations on the sacred land of Lord Ram would also contribute to Gonda’s development. He said: “We paved way for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya by showering flowers on Ram devotees.
