Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has strongly criticized the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government over alleged atrocities against landowners and shopkeepers in Gorakhpur, claiming that land is being forcibly acquired without proper compensation at market rates.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday in Lucknow alongside Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Mata Prasad Pandey, Yadav accused the government of betraying the very people of Gorakhpur—Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s home turf.
“The Chief Minister had announced Metro Rail projects for Gorakhpur and Jhansi nine years ago, but nothing has happened till date,” Yadav said. “Today, ‘Gorakhdhandha’ is going on in Gorakhpur. If the people of Gorakhpur raise their voices, there will be a ‘custody corridor’ instead of the so-called heritage corridor,” he quipped.
Yadav expressed outrage over reports that BJP leaders and workers allegedly obstructed a Samajwadi Party delegation, led by Mata Prasad Pandey, which went to meet those affected by the land acquisition in Gorakhpur. He alleged that bulldozers were used to stop the delegation, and the police and administration supported the BJP’s actions.
Pandey further claimed that BJP-affiliated goons were even conspiring to kill members of the delegation.
Akhilesh Yadav demanded that compensation for acquired land be based on prevailing market rates and not on so-called “mutual consent” agreements. “The government is forcibly striking agreements with traders and local residents using police pressure,” he alleged.
Taking a direct swipe at CM Yogi Adityanath, Yadav said, “When it came to his own land, the Chief Minister ensured maximum compensation and even received praise for it.”
He alleged widespread corruption in land acquisition processes across Uttar Pradesh under the pretext of corridor construction.
“Land is being acquired from locals at throwaway prices and later sold at much higher rates by BJP leaders. This betrayal of locals led to the BJP’s defeat in Ayodhya and Prayagraj, and a narrow escape in Varanasi,” Yadav claimed. “The same outcome awaits them in Mathura and Gorakhpur during upcoming elections.”
Yadav warned that if no action is taken against the District Magistrate and SSP of Gorakhpur for their administrative lapses, a future Samajwadi Party government in 2027 would initiate strict action against them.
Responding to a question about the BJP’s recent criticism of secularism and socialism, Yadav said, “Those opposing reservations are also opposing socialism and secularism. The BJP had opposed these principles since its inception. Today, they continue spreading hatred because they cannot attack the Constitution directly. So they oppose secularism and socialism instead.”