Swami Prasad Maurya slams Yogi govt, vows to oppose anti-people policies

Former Uttar Pradesh minister and Apni Janata Party (AJP) president Swami Prasad Maurya on Friday criticised the Yogi Adityanath government, urging it to operate within democratic norms rather than through authoritarian means.

Speaking to the media at his residence here on Friday, he said, “The government should abandon dictatorship and work within the framework of democracy.” He asserted that his party has the strength to confront anti-people policies: “Whenever the BJP government takes any anti-people decision, the Apni Janata Party has the full strength to push it onto the back foot through protests on the streets.”

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Highlighting the need for governance centred on public welfare, he remarked, “The government is formed for the welfare of the people and should formulate schemes for public welfare.” He further alleged, “Whether it’s a double-engine government or not, it follows undemocratic and unconstitutional methods everywhere and attempts to suppress democracy.”

Maurya also raised concerns over the treatment of students, particularly in Delhi. “Students are being oppressed, and irregularities are being seen in examinations. Students have tried to make their voices heard by the central government through public movements,” he said. He condemned the government’s response, saying, “Instead of addressing the issue with sensitivity, the government resorted to baton charges and detained students at the police station overnight.”

On the school merger issue, he questioned the logic behind the criteria being used, stating, “Not all schools are within a one-kilometre radius as the standard criteria actually apply to areas beyond one kilometre.”

In response to a question on terrorism, he remarked, “If saffron terror is not terrorism, then what is? Whether a terrorist wears saffron or anything else, a terrorist is a terrorist.”

Commenting on actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan, he said, “Had he struggled and gained experience in politics at the ground level, he might have spoken on real issues. But he entered politics in a superficial, showy manner.”

Critiquing the ruling party broadly, Maurya said, “The entire BJP government is on the path of anarchy and does not work in the public interest. The Yogi government is ignoring issues of public welfare.” He warned that the Apni Janata Party has not ended its movement on the school merger issue. “If the government does anything wrong under the guise of strategy, our party will oppose it,” he remarked.