Akhilesh Yadav questions Amit Shah over crimes against women, Dalits in U.P.

Samajwadi Party National President Akhilesh Yadav. File | Photo Credit: ANI

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday (October 31, 2026) questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah over crimes against women and Dalits in Uttar Pradesh, while party MP Awadhesh Prasad said the BJP had lost ground in the state, citing its recent electoral setbacks.

"Home Minister should look into why women face so much injustice in Uttar Pradesh, why the state witnesses so many murders and why people from the Dalit community are among the worst affected," Mr. Yadav said.

Reacting to Mr. Shah's assertion that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was firmly established and could not be dislodged, Mr. Prasad said the party's political footing had already weakened.

Mr. Shah had on Friday (October 30) compared the BJP government's position in the state to "Angad's foot", saying nobody could move it, and expressed confidence that the party would return to power.

"The foot has already been uprooted," Mr. Prasad told PTI Videos.

He said the BJP had failed to retain several seats in the recent Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections despite making every effort.

He cited the party's defeats in Varanasi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been elected, as well as in Lucknow and Agra. He also referred to its defeat in Prayagraj, a prominent educational centre.

He also cited the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, saying the BJP had failed to achieve its target of winning all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh.

"Under Akhilesh Yadav's leadership, the Samajwadi Party won 37 seats, while the Congress won six. The opposition INDIA bloc secured 43 of the state's 80 seats," he said.

Mr. Shah had announced on Friday (October 30) that the BJP would implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttar Pradesh if voted to power again.

He had also targeted the SP leadership over the Ram temple issue, referring to the police firing on kar sevaks in Ayodhya on October 30, 1990, and saying the SP had ordered firing on Ram devotees while the BJP had built the Ram temple.

Published - October 31, 2026 05:15 pm IST