In a fiery press conference in Lucknow, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Uttar Pradesh government, linking the ongoing controversy surrounding Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand to broader allegations of political misuse of religious sentiments. Yadav didn’t hold back, questioning the fairness of the Election Commission amid claims of voter list manipulations during recent bypolls.
Yadav drew a sharp mythological parallel, urging those who invoke ancient demons like Kalanemi to identify the modern equivalents lurking in ‘Kaliyug.’ He accused the ruling dispensation of exploiting religious issues for electoral gains, turning sacred matters into political weapons.
Turning to electoral integrity, Yadav raised serious concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Why, he asked, are political parties kept in the dark about notices issued to voters? ‘The Election Commission is not impartial; it’s colluding with the government,’ he charged, pointing to booth-level officers allegedly tampering with voter rolls under official directives.
He recounted assurances that no legitimate voter would be deleted post-SIR, yet bypoll realities painted a different picture—alleged vote looting despite CCTV evidence, which the EC refused to share. Yadav highlighted training mishaps for BLOs that cost lives, with zero accountability, and duplicate entries bloating voter lists, citing 200 fake voters in Kannauj Sadar as stark proof.
Demanding transparency, Yadav called for linking voter lists to Aadhaar and purging duplicates. He likened SIR to an NRC-like ordeal, sowing confusion and forcing citizens to prove their belonging. On Avimukteshwaranand, he affirmed ongoing SP contact, praising him as a true Sanatan follower and urging governmental restraint.
Broadening his critique, Yadav slammed incomplete caste censuses, reminisced about SP’s pioneering cow milk plant in Kannauj—now shuttered—and accused the government of hollow cow protection rhetoric. He vowed SP rule would procure and distribute cow milk to the masses.
Lamenting Noida’s recent road tragedy, he blamed weakened Dial-100 services, demanding top officials’ accountability after a father’s heartbreaking loss. Finally, he pushed for public data on post-vaccine health issues and a thorough study, while sarcastically suggesting the government raze KGMU if it objects to its mosque, given its Christian origins.