‘It Takes Courage…’: In UP’s Bulldozer Politics, Yogi Adityanath, Akhilesh Yadav Take Each Other Head-On

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday responded to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘after 2027 UP polls, all bulldozers will turn towards Gorakhpur’ remark and said not everyone could handle a bulldozer, adding, it takes brains and courage.

Speaking at an event to distribute government job appointment letters in Lucknow, the Chief Minister said, “Not everyone’s hands can fit on a bulldozer. Iske liye dil aur dimaag dono chahiye (it takes both brains and courage). Bulldozer jaise shamta aur pratigya jismein ho wahi bulldozer chala sakta hai (One should have stamina and resilience like a bulldozer to handle it).”

Akhilesh Yadav had, on Tuesday, claimed that his party would wipe out the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in UP in 2027.

“Soon after the Samajwadi Party comes to power in the state, all the bulldozers will turn towards Gorakhpur,” he said, as per a statement issued by the party, without further elaborating on it.

According to the statement, while speaking to the party workers at the Lohia auditorium at the party’s state headquarters, Akhilesh said, “In the 2027 UP assembly polls, the BJP will be wiped out and those UP results will have consequences on the national politics.”

Akhilesh Responds To Yogi’s Retort

Responding to CM Yogi Adityanath’s fresh retort, Akhilesh Yadav said, “Bulldozer chalane me dimag nahi, steering lagta hai (Driving a bulldozer requires control over steering wheel, not brains).”

He went on to say, “UP aur Dilli wale kab steering badal de malum nahi (you never know when the higher-ups in UP and Delhi will change the steering wheel.”

He said, “UP government used bulldozers to satisfy its ego. Bulldozer par court ka bulldozer chala (court has bulldozed bulldozer action in UP).”

Yadav also asked if the UP government would apologise for its actions.

Supreme Court On Bulldozer Action In UP

Uttar Pradesh’s bulldozer politics has been in the news for a while now, especially after the Supreme Court on Monday said there was a need for guidelines over bulldozer actions against accused individuals in various cases, and said a structure cannot be demolished even if one or all occupants of the house have been convicted or found guilty in a case.

“We propose to lay down certain guidelines on a pan-India basis so that the concern with regard to the issues raised (on bulldozer actions) are taken care of,” a bench of Justices BR Gavai and KV Viswanathan said.

The SP chief hailed the Supreme Court’s observation, saying using bulldozers was unconstitutional and the “bulldozer of justice” has finally been set in motion.