Lucknow, February 22: In a scathing attack on the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh, Leader of Opposition and Samajwadi Party MLA Mata Prasad Pandey declared that the state has never faced such notoriety before.
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Pandey didn’t mince words. ‘Uttar Pradesh is as disgraced today as it has never been in its history,’ he asserted. He pointed fingers at the government’s aggressive encounter policies, false cases slapped on innocent citizens, and legal actions against revered figures like Shankaracharyas, which have tarnished the state’s image globally.
Recalling the Samajwadi Party’s rule, Pandey painted a contrasting picture. ‘During our tenure, UP was never in the headlines for the wrong reasons. We built roads, courts, metros, and expressways on shoestring budgets. Achievements spoke louder than controversies.’ He accused the current administration of inflating budgets on paper while failing to spend even a fraction, leaving projects in limbo.
Backing SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s recent remarks, Pandey dismissed criticisms from figures like Rambhadracharya. ‘There was a 420 case against him, which our government withdrew to spare him jail time. He’s a government-backed saint now—his words don’t merit attention.’
The controversy stems from a case against Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand, where Akhilesh accused the BJP of dredging up a 20-year-old incident to humiliate spiritual leaders. Pandey echoed the sentiment, warning that the government’s desperate tactics signal its impending downfall. As political tempers flare ahead of elections, UP’s opposition is gearing up to capitalize on these allegations of misuse of power.