Akhilesh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Ministers Trade Barbs Over Trader Woes

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “double-engine” government in Uttar Pradesh of pushing the state’s business community into what he called an “economic and social emergency.” Speaking at a press conference in Lucknow on Saturday, the former chief minister said the ruling party had promised industry-friendly policies but instead delivered rising problems for traders. Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna rejected the allegations, saying traders are now benefiting from state schemes and that crime and corruption targeting businesses were far more prevalent during the Samajwadi Party’s 2012-2017 tenure. He said the current administration’s initiatives are contributing to the state’s economic development. Separately, Hindu religious leader Jagat Guru Balak Devacharya Maharaj criticised Yadav, claiming the opposition politician was fostering division with his remarks. The exchange underscores escalating rhetoric between the SP and the BJP as they vie for support among the state’s influential trader community.