Akhilesh Yadav: If schools are shut in UP, SP will launch ‘PDA Pathshala’ in villages

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday announced that if the Uttar Pradesh government closes primary schools in the name of “merger”, party workers will go to villages and run PDA Pathshala to teach children.

Reacting to the High Court’s order on the merger of primary schools in the state, the SP president thanked the judiciary for staying the government’s move in Sitapur district.

Advertisement

He said that quality schools will be constructed when a Samajwadi government is formed in the state.

Akhilesh Yadav, who visited his parliamentary constituency Kannauj on Friday, first paid condolences at the residence of party leader Rajesh and later addressed the media.

The SP president said that education is the most important pillar of development, but BJP leaders are attacking it—especially basic education.

“In the last election, we used to say that the Constitution is in danger. Right to Education is a constitutional right, and everyone has the right to be educated,” he said.

He questioned, “If these schools are closed, where will the children of poor families and the PDA (Pichhde, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) community go to study?”

He further announced, “We will instruct SP leaders to form teams of educated party workers in every village. We’ll urge retired teachers to join hands and establish PDA Pathshalas to educate the children. We will not allow their education to be disrupted. We socialists will ensure that their studies continue.”

Akhilesh Yadav also promised that Kannauj would witness large-scale development in the future, stating that the BJP had pushed the region backwards over the past nine years.

“The state government may have done some nominal work, but the major initiatives started by the SP government were stalled by the BJP. I want to assure the people of Kannauj that, having elected me, they will see historical development here once the Samajwadi government is formed. We socialists are always among the people, and we will raise our voice against any injustice,” he said.

When asked about the suspension of officials, Yadav said, “Suspension is not a solution. There is no justice in this government—not even their own people get justice.”

He accused the top leadership of negligence and said, “They only label Samajwadi people as Namazvadis. But let me remind you—the person who proposed Atal Bihari Vajpayee as the first national president of BJP was someone who offered namaz five times a day. The national conference of BJP, where the party was formed in Mumbai, was largely funded by a family from a neighboring country.”

Yadav concluded by saying, “The BJP only knows how to spread hatred. These are fake people.”