Akhilesh Yadav flags off PDA Yatra vans in Lucknow (Img IANS)
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday flagged off vans for the party’s PDA Yatra ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, calling for social justice and accusing the BJP of dividing society and misusing artificial intelligence (AI) for political propaganda.
Addressing a press conference, Yadav invoked the ideals of Ram Rajya on Dussehra and urged PDA supporters to work towards building a society based on equality and justice. He also criticised the BJP over rising inflation and unemployment, alleging that the government was unable to answer questions on the economy.
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav flags off the PDA vans as part of the Samajwadi PDA Yatra ahead of the UP Assembly elections 2027.
@yadavakhilesh @samajwadiparty @dimpleyadav #SamajwadiPDAYatra #UPAssemblyElections2027 https://t.co/a33V2g61r6
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 20, 2026
Yadav alleged that BJP leaders had circulated a video portraying him and his party in an unfavourable light, prompting Samajwadi Party workers to respond with videos of their own.
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“When we woke up in the morning, BJP leaders had posted a video depicting us as Ravana. The media also knows where these videos are made, though they do not tell us. Everyone in the mainstream media knows where they are made and who gets them made. They also know how much is paid for each video. But I would congratulate our party workers, who make their own videos in response and send them to us. AI should be used for good, but the BJP is using it for bad purposes. We are being forced to use it because it seems that evil has to be countered with evil. However, there are many good ways that we should adopt. They cannot answer questions on GDP because even the chief minister himself does not know what GDP is. So how will he debate it? The result is that inflation is rising and unemployment is increasing.”
The SP chief argued that technology should be used constructively rather than as a tool for political attacks. He also questioned the state government's understanding of economic issues, linking the alleged lack of answers to the rising cost of living and joblessness.
Extending his Dussehra greetings, Yadav called for a united effort to fight social evils, saying the campaign should begin in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the forthcoming electoral contest.
“Many congratulations to you on Dussehra. This festival reminds us that we must continue to fight evil and ensure the victory of good over evil. Today, we should resolve to eliminate evil from this earth once and for all. Let this effort begin in Uttar Pradesh, where a major political battle is going to take place. We must all unite to strengthen the PDA and establish a society based on social justice, following the path of Ram Rajya shown by Lord Shri Ram...”
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav flags off the PDA vans as part of the Samajwadi PDA Yatra ahead of the UP Assembly elections 2027.
@yadavakhilesh @samajwadiparty @dimpleyadav #SamajwadiPDAYatra #UPAssemblyElections2027 https://t.co/a33V2g61r6
— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) October 20, 2026
In another appeal to PDA supporters, Yadav said, “What is socialism is Ram Rajya itself. Let us begin the end of evil in the country from Uttar Pradesh.”
He urged party workers to pledge that they would not cause suffering to anyone and would help those in distress.
“Today, we, the people of PDA, should take a pledge that we will not oppress anyone in society. We will help every person who is suffering.”
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also accused the BJP of creating divisions among people and said the government's failure to deliver justice could fuel public anger.
“When you, the government, do not deliver justice, the public becomes angry,” Yadav said.
In a separate attack, he described BJP leaders as divisive and accused them of creating rifts within society.
“People in the BJP believe in creating divisions. They are the ones who divide society,” he said.
Yadav also made a pointed remark about the controversy surrounding vehicles overturning during police operations in Uttar Pradesh, saying the government itself had been protected from a political downfall.
“In Uttar Pradesh, it was not the vehicle that overturned; the government was saved from being toppled,” he said.
The PDA, or Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak alliance, is central to the Samajwadi Party's political outreach among backward classes, Dalits and minorities. The PDA Yatra is part of the party's efforts to consolidate these groups ahead of the Assembly elections.
