Modi has spent 8,931 days in power, but what changed, asks Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday sought to play down Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s record of 8,931 days in public life, arguing that the government’s performance should be judged not by longevity but by measurable outcomes compared to the previous administration.

Speaking to PTI Videos in Lucknow, Yadav said the true test of governance lay in improvements across economic, social and institutional indicators.

"Where does our happiness index stand now? Where does our per capita income rank globally? Where do we stand on the world stage in terms of corruption? Where do we rank globally regarding unemployment? From an environmental perspective, how are our rivers and our water bodies faring? Are they in a better state than before, or not? How safe are our women and our daughters?" Yadav asked.

He also criticised the Centre’s foreign policy, questioning India’s strategic preparedness in the event of a conflict and arguing that dependence on multiple countries for defence equipment could prove problematic.

"We have handed over our entire market to China. Just imagine if a war breaks out — our aircraft are from France, our communication systems are from Israel, and we have procured various items from Russia, while some are manufactured by China. When the time comes to fight a war, who exactly will you turn to for support? They have completely destroyed our foreign policy," Yadav said.

The Samajwadi Party leader further alleged that India had allowed relations with a "friendly" nation like Iran to weaken, in an apparent reference to the reported sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena by a US submarine using a torpedo off the coast of Sri Lanka.

"Iran was a friendly country to us. Today, we have left it isolated. Imagine if guests were to arrive at your home, and while visiting as your guests, their lives were taken right before your eyes, while you stood by and merely watched. Russia, which once stood by your side, is no longer with you today. You have spoiled your relations with every country. Hence, your foreign policy has proved to be a failure," Yadav said.

According to reports, a US submarine on 4 March torpedoed and sank the Iranian warship in international waters off Sri Lanka’s coast while it was returning after participating in the Milan naval exercise, a multilateral wargame hosted by India.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, confirming the strike, said at a Pentagon media briefing that it was the first sinking of an enemy warship by a torpedo since World War II.

The incident marks a significant escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran beyond the Persian Gulf and raises questions over maritime security in the Indian Ocean, a region often regarded as a strategic sphere of influence for the Indian Navy.

The warship had also taken part in the International Fleet Review hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam last month.

With PTI inputs