Lucknow — The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has levelled serious allegations against the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government, claiming large-scale corruption in the name of cleaning the Gomti River in Lucknow. In a scathing press briefing, AAP leaders said that while the government makes tall claims of rejuvenation and cleanliness, ground reality paints a grim picture of mismanagement and fraud.
Under the direction of AAP UP in-charge and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, a party delegation visited Kudia Ghat to inspect the Gomti River’s condition. According to the party, contrary to the government’s assertion of deploying 20 boats and 50 boatmen, there was no sign of either at the site. Even more alarming, AAP claims that no official record exists for these resources, yet lakhs of rupees have allegedly been paid in their name.
State spokesperson Prince Soni alleged that Lucknow Municipal Corporation’s RR department handed over the river-cleaning contract to a private firm, which, on paper, employed 388 workers for the project. However, these workers are nowhere to be found on the ground, pointing towards a massive embezzlement of public funds. “The government has turned Gomti into a dumping ground,” Soni said, “with nothing but water hyacinths spreading all around.”
District President Irm Rizvi echoed the concern, stating, “There are no officers, no staff, and yet lakhs are being siphoned off in the name of river cleaning. Previous clean-up attempts by the Jal Nigam, Irrigation Department, and Municipal Corporation have all led to multi-crore scams without any real improvement in the river’s condition.”
Former State General Secretary Dinesh Patel added that the monthly expenses for Gomti cleaning amount to ₹12 lakh, but the river remains heavily polluted. “Even the BJP’s own councillors have raised questions, but the government is playing the role of a blind Dhritarashtra,” he said.
AAP has demanded an independent and impartial investigation into the matter and has warned that it will continue to expose the nexus of corruption if the government fails to act.
The visiting delegation included prominent AAP leaders Nadeem Ashraf Jaisi, Sarabjit Singh Makkar, Mahendra Singh, and Prakhar Srivastava, all of whom reaffirmed the party’s commitment to transparency and accountability in public projects.
The allegations have reignited debate around river conservation and public accountability, leaving citizens to wonder how long such environmental and fiscal negligence will go unchecked.
