Yogi targets SP over JPNIC, hails UP’s development push
Deoria (Uttar Pradesh): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party, accusing its previous government of corruption and mismanagement while highlighting his government’s initiatives in women’s free bus travel, healthcare, infrastructure and law and order.
Addressing a rally in Deoria, Yogi took a dig at SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, saying the party’s “Babua” had suddenly become active after the state launched free bus travel for women on August 26.
Targeting the previous SP government over the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) in Lucknow, Yogi alleged large-scale financial irregularities in its construction. He claimed the project’s initial estimated cost was Rs 200 crore, but the previous government spent Rs 864 crore while leaving it incomplete.
“They were trying to create a private limited company involving their own people and loot the state treasury,” Yogi alleged, claiming the SP government planned to spend another Rs 900 crore to Rs 1,000 crore before handing the facility to a private company.
He also accused the previous government of failing to tackle encephalitis in eastern Uttar Pradesh, claiming more than 50,000 people died from the disease over four decades. “Encephalitis was not merely a disease; it was a sick mindset,” he said.
Highlighting his government’s record, Yogi said the “mafia has been crushed, wiped out completely” and asserted that Uttar Pradesh now has “one district, one medical college”, pointing to medical colleges in Deoria and Kushinagar.
On law and order, he claimed festivals are now celebrated peacefully and “riots can no longer take place in Uttar Pradesh.”
Yogi also highlighted free bus travel for women above 60, saying they can travel free in UPSRTC buses along with one accompanying passenger.
He said sustained efforts by elected representatives were essential for development and claimed all proposed works for Deoria had been approved. Yogi further asserted that Uttar Pradesh had shed its “Bimaru” image and that people were now proud of the state’s transformation.