Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, accusing both parties of practising an “anti-Sanatan” brand of secularism that, according to him, prioritised the construction of graveyard boundary walls while ignoring temples and development projects.
Speaking at a public event in Barabanki after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for 82 development projects worth over ₹542 crore, Adityanath alleged that previous governments equated secularism with spending public money on graveyard walls, while branding projects associated with Hindu religious sites as “communal”.
“Constructing boundary walls for graveyards had become the benchmark of secularism. Projects linked to Mahadeva Temple in Barabanki, the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Kashi Vishwanath were denied support because they were seen as communal,” the Chief Minister said.
Calling the SP and Congress “anti-Sanatan”, Adityanath asserted that India’s future was inseparable from the preservation of Sanatan Dharma. “Our bright future rests on the strong foundation of Sanatan. If Sanatan is secure, all of us are secure. If Sanatan is threatened, nobody will remain safe,” he remarked.
The Chief Minister further alleged that previous governments projected restrictions on the Kanwar Yatra, Ram Navami processions, Janmashtami celebrations and Durga Puja pandals as symbols of secularism. “This distorted model of secularism must be uprooted if India is to become secure on the firm foundation of Sanatan,” he said.
‘Remind the younger generation of SP’s rule’
Taking aim at the Samajwadi Party, Adityanath accused it of deepening caste divisions and appealed to senior citizens to educate the younger generation about what he described as the party’s legacy of “hooliganism, vandalism, dacoity, anarchy and looting.”
Drawing a contrast between past and present, the Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh had moved from an era where criminals terrorised traders with country-made weapons to one where advanced BrahMos missiles were being manufactured in Lucknow.
“Earlier, traders were robbed at gunpoint using country-made pistols and bombs. Today, BrahMos missiles are being produced in Lucknow. Once they are fired, everyone, from Pakistan to those backing it, loses sleep,” he said, adding that women and traders today felt significantly safer in the state.
Alleges corruption in SP-era projects
Adityanath also accused the previous SP government of massive corruption in flagship infrastructure projects.
Referring to the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) in Lucknow, he alleged that despite spending hundreds of crores, the project was left incomplete.
He further claimed that while the SP government estimated the Purvanchal Expressway project at ₹15,200 crore, the BJP completed it for around ₹11,800 crore after reworking its execution.
Similarly, he alleged financial irregularities in the Gomti Riverfront project, claiming that although nearly ₹1,700 crore had been spent against an estimated project cost of ₹167 crore, the project remained unfinished.
‘Double-engine government stopped the loot’
Invoking a famous remark attributed to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, that only 15 paise out of every rupee spent by the government reached the intended beneficiary, Adityanath used the statement to attack the Congress over corruption.
He said the BJP’s “double-engine government” had ended what he termed the “dacoity” of the SP and the “plunder” of the Congress, redirecting public funds towards welfare schemes such as scholarships, financial assistance for girls’ marriages, farmer support initiatives, housing programmes and health insurance.
“We redirected the money that was earlier spent on constructing graveyard boundary walls towards creating development corridors,” he said.
Highlighting Uttar Pradesh’s economic transformation, Adityanath said the state had emerged as one of India’s three largest economies and was witnessing rapid investments in infrastructure, flood-control works and river rejuvenation projects.
“Nothing can stop Barabanki’s development. As part of the State Capital Region connecting Lucknow and Ayodhya, it is poised for unprecedented growth,” the Chief Minister said.
