Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday (June 18, 2026) in Unnao alleged that family centred nepotism is practised by the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, while for him, 25 crore people of Uttar Pradesh are family.

“The achievements of the double-engine government over the past 12 years at the national level and nine years in Uttar Pradesh surpass everything accomplished by the Congress and Samajwadi Party administrations, which were marred by corruption and incompetence. These parties prioritized their own families over the welfare of the common people. For the SP leadership, family comes first and everything centered around benefitting their own people and family, but for Prime Minister Narendra Modi India is his home and considers 140 crore Indians as his family. Similarly, Uttar Pradesh is my home, and its 25 crore residents are part of my family. I have a single mission to enhance their prosperity,” said Mr. Adityanath, during a public gathering in Unnao where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 101 development projects valued at over ₹570 crores.

He added, “The Congress party has never looked beyond the Nehru-Gandhi lineage, while the Samajwadi Party’s focus was solely on Saifai as its family, under the Samajwadi Party’s regime, whenever the underprivileged or opposition factions raised their voices, they were silenced by goons and mafias, leading to rampant lawlessness and the abduction of traders. Leaders from the Congress and the SP never showed sensitivity for the poor, but they do express sorrow when mafias meet their demise. Despite their prolonged rule, both parties are culpable for the deterioration of the country and the state,”.

The Chief Minister described Unnao as a land of spirituality, literature and revolution. He paid tribute to local spiritual centres, literary figures and freedom fighters. Mr. Adityanath remembered the contributions of former Assembly Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit. “When India’s identity was under threat during British rule, freedom fighters Raja Rambaksh Singh and Veer Gulab Singh Lodhi made supreme sacrifices and weakened the foundations of British rule,” said Mr. Adityanath.

The U.P. CM added in present times, Unnao enjoys four-lane connectivity in all directions, highlighting infrastructure development.

“Swami Sakshi Maharaj used to say that Unnao felt neglected, situated as it is between Lucknow and Kanpur. At that time, I assured him that every development scheme would reach Unnao as well. Today, Unnao enjoys four-lane connectivity in all directions. Via the Ganga Expressway, residents of Unnao can travel directly to Delhi and Prayagraj, bypassing Lucknow. A greenfield expressway to Kanpur is also under construction. The demand for an additional bridge over the Ganga River to enhance connectivity between Unnao and Kanpur has also been met,” said Mr. Adityanath, adding we will not let Unnao lag behind.

“Land acquisition has been completed for the Defence Manufacturing Corridor and for developing industrial clusters along the Ganga Expressway. Approximately 700 acres of land for the Defence Corridor and around 200 acres for industrial clusters are ready in the Unnao district. The establishment of industries will provide employment opportunities to local youth right here,” he said.