Yogi slams opposition in UP assembly, says some are supporting Taliban

“Topi” and “Talibanisation” found mention in chief minister Yogi Adityanath's address in the legislative assembly on Thursday. He was responding to the opposition parties’ attack on rising prices, lack of jobs, and excessive spending on promotion activities of the government.

The opposition came down heavily on the state government for failing to live up to its poll promise of providing 70 lakh jobs and also criticised it for asking for provision of ₹500 crore for “advertising and promotion”, in the supplementary budget of ₹7,302 crore that was passed on Thursday. In his response, among other things, Yogi listed the state government's emphasis on religious tourism and spoke about projects in Ayodhya, the Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, Braj Teerth Development Council in Mathura, and the successful organisation of the Kumbh mela in Prayagraj in 2019. “Many people got the opportunity to hold the Kumbh, but they did not have the intention, because organising Kumbh meant they would have to forgo the opportunity to don a topi (skullcap) and celebrate. Now, their topis have come off," Yogi said in an apparent dig at the Samajwadi Party (SP). Battling another criticism about women welfare, Yogi slammed the SP for “supporting Taliban'', with reference to a statement made by SP MP Shafiqur Rehman Barq comparing Taliban's occupation of Afghanistan to India's independence struggle, who has also been booked for the same. “Women and children are being subjected to brutalities but some people are shamelessly supporting the Taliban and resorting to Talibanisation. Their faces should be exposed,” he said.

Yogi said a fund of ₹3,000 crore would be created out of which 1 crore youth pursuing graduation, post-graduation, as well as technical and diploma courses, will be given smartphones and tablets.