Akhilesh targets BJP’s ‘double engine’ model, urges public introspection

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday launched a blistering broadside against the BJP’s much-touted “double-engine” governments, urging those who support the ruling party unquestioningly to pause, reflect and examine the consequences of their choices.

In a lengthy and impassioned post on X, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister appealed to the conscience of BJP supporters, asking them to introspect if they still possess “even a shred of patriotism, humanity, wisdom and moral sense.” He urged them to assess the state of the nation through the lens of their own families, particularly the safety and dignity of their sisters and daughters.

Yadav stitched together a grim national tapestry, citing incidents from BJP-ruled states to argue that the “double-engine” model has derailed on multiple fronts — from law and order and corruption to social justice, public health and environmental protection.

He said citizens in Uttarakhand have been “forced onto the streets” in their quest for justice for the “daughter of Uttarakhand,” while in Uttar Pradesh, people were allegedly dying after consuming poisonous cough syrup. Pointing to the recovery of crores of rupees in cash from the residence of a GST officer in UP, Yadav questioned the government’s claims of eradicating black money and enforcing an honest tax regime.

Turning to Madhya Pradesh, he alleged that deaths caused by contaminated drinking water had exposed administrative apathy, while asserting that atrocities against Dalits had “crossed all limits.” He also highlighted Delhi’s choking air pollution, farmers’ protests in Rajasthan against hazardous industrial units, and rampant illegal mining in Gujarat and Haryana, claiming that citizens were being left with no option but to seek justice through the courts.

Yadav further referred to incidents from Tripura, Assam, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar, alleging a pattern of communal discrimination, attacks on minorities during festivals, harassment of street vendors, electoral irregularities and deep-rooted corruption.

Calling for deeper reflection, the SP chief urged people to look beyond the distractions of communal politics and confront what he described as the real crises facing the country — widespread corruption, shrinking businesses, rising unemployment among the youth, environmental decay, escalating social hatred and violence, and persistent atrocities against women and the PDA communities (backward classes, Dalits and minorities).

He concluded with a warning about India’s future, its “deteriorating” global image and the growing challenges faced by Indians abroad, which he linked to reactions triggered by developments at home — a sobering reminder, he said, of the cost of ignoring the present moment.

With PTI inputs