Lucknow : Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday targeted the Uttar Pradesh government over law and order, alleging that criminals from other states have entered the state and accused the BJP government of shielding those involved in crimes.
In a post shared on X, Yadav said, "The Chief Minister kept claiming that mafia and criminals have left Uttar Pradesh; but here, the opposite has happened--gangsters and thugs from other states have come to UP, firing dozens of rounds and committing murders."
His remarks came after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said the state had moved beyond its earlier image as a "Bimaru" state and now had a respectable image due to improvements in healthcare, connectivity, education and law and order.
Addressing a programme in Deoria, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 80 development projects worth Rs 305 crore, CM Yogi said Uttar Pradesh had witnessed major changes in governance and development. "Today, I can say that UP has truly lived up to its name. No one calls UP a 'Bimaru' state anymore. No one questions Uttar Pradesh now. The state now commands a respectable image," Adityanath said.
The Chief Minister claimed that the mafia had been "crushed" and warned those threatening women and traders that they would face either jail or "hell". "A parallel mafia rule operated across the state. Today, the mafia has been crushed, wiped out completely. For those who threaten the safety of daughters and traders, there are only two places: either jail or hell; there is no third option," he said.
CM Yogi said the state's focus had shifted from "one district, one mafia" to "one district, one medical college", highlighting the establishment of medical colleges in Deoria and Kushinagar. He also credited the government's healthcare initiatives for the eradication of encephalitis in the state and alleged that previous Samajwadi Party and Congress governments had failed to address the issue.
"Encephalitis was not merely a disease; it was a sick mindset. It was the sick mentality of the Samajwadi Party and Congress governments of that time," Yogi said. Highlighting development works in Deoria, the Chief Minister said the district had received a medical college named after Maharishi Deoraha Baba and that connectivity infrastructure was being improved through bypasses, flyovers and upgraded roads.
He also mentioned initiatives such as Abhyudaya coaching facilities for competitive examinations and the transformation of basic education schools under the government's 'Operation Kayakalp' programme.