'Will Build Separate Corridor For Kanwariyas If Voted To Power': Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav Slams Yogi Govt For Neglecting Pilgrims (VIDEO)

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, accusing them of neglecting pilgrims, mismanaging development projects, and using faith as a tool for political gain.

Addressing a press conference at the SP headquarters in Lucknow, Akhilesh promised that if his party returns to power, it will construct a dedicated corridor for kanwariyas (Shiva devotees) that ensures smooth passage without disrupting businesses or road traffic.

"Eleven years at the Centre and nine years in Uttar Pradesh—what has the BJP done for kanwariyas in all this time?" he asked. “They built a road to the Chief Minister’s house at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore that’s barely motorable. Couldn’t they have built a proper Rs 1,000-crore corridor for the pilgrims?”

Yadav said the proposed corridor under a future SP government would respect the religious sentiments of kanwariyas while also maintaining public order and ensuring that traders and pedestrians are not inconvenienced. “Our solution will be inclusive and systematic. But the current government only uses faith for politics,” he added.

The SP leader also slammed the state government over issues of land acquisition and alleged forced evictions in the name of development. “In Ayodhya, homes were bulldozed without fair compensation. In Gorakhpur, houses were razed for the so-called ‘Heritage Corridor’. Wherever you look, BJP leaders are busy grabbing land,” he said.

He accused the government of undermining community spaces and traditional neighborhoods. “Under the garb of corridor construction, the BJP is destroying heritage—narrow lanes are being erased, and cultural identities are being wiped out,” he said. “Fairs and festivals bring people together, but this government cannot tolerate public joy.”

Akhilesh accused the BJP of turning religious faith into a commercial enterprise. “They are turning faith into a business model. Their friends and associates are running illegal activities while public spaces like parks, ponds, and trust lands are being encroached upon,” he alleged.

He also targeted the government’s environmental record, saying water treatment plants across the state have been shut down, leading to untreated sewage being dumped directly into rivers. “In Bundelkhand, rivers have been over-excavated, leaving mounds of debris along roads and fields. It’s environmental destruction in the name of development,” he said.

Mocking official claims about development, he took a swipe at the government’s statistics. “They claim that people in Noida have a higher per capita income than the Japanese. Where do they come up with such data?”

Yadav also ridiculed the administration over the chaos during the recently held Aam Mahotsav at Shilpgram in Lucknow, where a stampede-like situation occurred as people scrambled for free mangoes. “Had someone died in the incident, it would have been front-page news. The event was so poorly managed—it shows this government cannot even organise a fruit festival properly,” he said.

With assembly elections two years away, Akhilesh Yadav’s press conference signals an attempt to reclaim the Hindutva narrative—this time by blending religious respect with infrastructure promises and targeting the BJP’s failures in governance and delivery.