Claims of grand arrangements at Maha Kumbh far from reality: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the government's claims of grand arrangements at the Maha Kumbh are "far from reality". In a statement issued here, Yadav said, "Pilgrims are struggling for basic amenities like drinking water, food, and shelter. There is no one to hear their grievances. Senior citizens are forced to walk kilometres, and there are no measures for protection against the cold.

"Instead of supporting poor boatmen, the government has restricted their livelihoods," the former chief minister added.

Accusing the BJP government in the state and Centre of rampant corruption and failed governance, Yadav said every scheme launched by it has become a story of bribery.


Inflation, unemployment and corruption, have meanwhile, reached unprecedented levels, he said.

"Their flawed economic policies have ruined the economy. They promised dreams but delivered despair," Yadav said.

Yadav also criticised the state of Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency.

He highlighted that despite promises to transform Varanasi into a Japanese-style smart city akin to Kyoto, the city remains neglected.

"Fountains and open gym equipment at Maidagin Park are broken, paddle boats and swings are damaged, street lights are non-functional, and roads remain pothole-ridden. Hospitals lack medicines and proper treatment facilities," the SP chief said.

Similar mismanagement in Lucknow has led to poor sanitation, pot-holed roads, and collapsing infrastructure, he said.

"Recently, roads in areas like Tedhipulia and Vikasnagar caved in, exposing the BJP's corruption," he added.

Yadav said that public dissatisfaction with the BJP is growing, and people are waiting for the 2027 elections to end the BJP's "misrule".

"The public will remove the BJP and put an end to its corruption and commission-driven governance," he asserted.