Lucknow: Samajwadi Party National President and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday leveled serious allegations against the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government, accusing it of orchestrating a widespread land scam across Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Lucknow, Yadav claimed that the BJP is forcibly acquiring land under the guise of development projects, especially in Gorakhpur, the Chief Minister’s home district.
“Wherever the BJP sees land, it rushes to grab it. In the name of building the ‘Inheritance Corridor’ in Gorakhpur, the homes and shops of traders are being demolished without fair compensation. This is nothing but looting,” Yadav alleged.
He further condemned the attack on Leader of the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey and Legislative Council Opposition Leader Lal Bihari Yadav, who were stopped and allegedly assaulted by BJP workers during their visit to Gorakhpur to meet aggrieved traders.
“Even Hitler would be ashamed of this kind of democracy. The use of bulldozers to block opposition leaders shows BJP’s contempt for the Constitution,” Yadav said.
Traders Forced Into Unfair Settlements, Claims SP Chief
Yadav criticized the government’s approach to compensating those affected by the corridor project, stating that traders and residents are being intimidated into accepting unfair compensation well below market rates.
“When it was their own land, BJP leaders took the highest possible compensation. Now they’re forcing others to sell at throwaway prices while making huge profits themselves.”
He also referred to past examples, like in Ayodhya and Prayagraj, where land was acquired at low rates and later sold at high prices—allegedly by BJP members or their close aides.
Gorakhpur Metro Still a Dream, Despite Repeated Promises
Taking a swipe at CM Yogi Adityanath, Yadav said:
“He promised a metro in Gorakhpur and Jhansi right after assuming power. It’s been 11 years of BJP at the Centre and 9 in the state—20 years in total—but the metro has not moved an inch.”
He asserted that land scams are not isolated to Gorakhpur, but are rampant in Ayodhya, Lucknow, and nearly every district of Uttar Pradesh.
SP Promises a Corridor of Development, Not Loot
Yadav assured Gorakhpur residents that under a future Samajwadi government, the “fake Inheritance Corridor” would be replaced by a true development corridor, where landowners would receive full market compensation.
“We are not against development. In our government, during projects like the Agra-Lucknow Expressway or Lucknow Metro, landowners were paid at revised circle rates based on market value,” he said.
He also took aim at the Sisodia Nursing & Paramedical College scam, claiming students are still waiting for their degrees after paying hefty fees—another example of systemic failure.
Chief Minister Obsessed with Home District, Yet Fails to Protect It
Criticizing the Chief Minister’s repeated visits to Gorakhpur, Yadav said:
“He’s made a record of visiting his home district, but injustice continues there. Even a 17-year-old YouTuber was raped, and the accused is reportedly close to the BJP.”
Yadav added that law and order in UP is in tatters, citing the example of 26 murders in 60 days in Jaunpur alone.
Land Mafia Protected by Power: Yadav
Yadav said those who once raised voices against corruption are now neck-deep in land mafias, especially in Lucknow.
“Even the CM’s advisor had to resign due to his role in the land scam. The BJP’s love for land and gold is no secret. People know whose names are on the most land registries in Gorakhpur.”
SP Will Defend Constitution, Oppose BJP’s Anti-Reservation Stand
Reiterating his party’s ideological stance, Yadav said:
“Those who oppose secularism and socialism are enemies of the Constitution and reservation. BJP only pretends to respect the Constitution because they fear losing elections.”
He declared that secularism and socialism are the foundation of inclusive democracy, and accused the BJP of promoting communalism and capitalist exploitation.
Power Crisis and Privatization Criticized
Yadav also attacked the BJP over electricity privatization, claiming no new power generation units were established in the last nine years.
“The power we use today is from plants established during the Samajwadi regime in Lalitpur, Etah, Bara, and Ghatampur. The BJP is only interested in privatization and selling resources,” he stated.
SP Leaders Face Bullying in Gorakhpur Visit
Earlier in the day, Leader of the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey detailed how SP’s delegation was attacked in Gorakhpur:
“BJP goons used bulldozers to block our path, hurled eggs, and damaged our convoy vehicles. We staged a sit-in protest on the spot.”
The press conference was attended by key SP leaders including Lal Bihari Yadav, Rajendra Chaudhary, Dr. Mohsin Khan, Rajmati Nishad, Vijay Bahadur Yadav, Rahul Gupta, and others.
