Samajwadi Party 'anti-women', aligns with those who are anti-UP: PM Modi

Addressing a gathering at the Ganga Expressway inauguration event, Modi further said that the Samajwadi Party SP does not like the progress of Uttar Pradesh and wants to push the state back into its old era.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Samajwadi Party, accusing it of having an anti-women mindset and aligning with parties like the DMK that ''abuse'' the people of Uttar Pradesh. Addressing a gathering at the Ganga Expressway inauguration event, Modi further said that the Samajwadi Party (SP) does not like the progress of Uttar Pradesh and wants to ''push the state back into its old era''. Modi said the SP voted against the bill, which seeks to provide reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies from 2029, and sided with parties that opposed an increase in parliamentary representation for Uttar Pradesh. ''The Samajwadi Party is not only anti-development but also anti-women.Recent events have exposed their mindset,'' he said. ''These people go to Parliament after getting votes from Uttar Pradesh, but stand with those who abuse the state. Parties like the DMK had objections to Uttar Pradesh's representation increasing, and the SP was echoing the same line,'' he said. The prime minister said such politics reflected a tendency to divide society and stall development. Highlighting the state's transformation, Modi said Uttar Pradesh had shed its earlier image of backwardness and lawlessness. ''There was a time when the identity of Uttar Pradesh was potholes on roads; today it is the state with the maximum number of expressways,'' he said. He also took a swipe at previous governments, saying, ''Due to the deeds of earlier governments, crime and jungle raj had become the identity of Uttar Pradesh.'' Modi said the state was now emerging as a major industrial hub, contributing significantly to sectors such as mobile manufacturing and defence production. ''Today, India is the world's second-largest mobile manufacturer, and Uttar Pradesh has the biggest contribution. Nearly half of the mobile phones made in India are produced here,'' he said. Referring to recent developments, he noted that a semiconductor plant had been initiated in Noida, opening up new opportunities in advanced technology sectors. The prime minister said Uttar Pradesh would play a key role in achieving the goal of a ''Viksit Bharat'', adding that modern infrastructure projects like the Ganga Expressway would further accelerate growth and investment in the state. On the global situation, Modi said the world was currently facing instability and conflict, but India continued to move ahead on the path of development. ''Today, the entire world is grappling with war, unrest and instability.Many big countries are facing difficult situations, but India is moving ahead on the path of development with the same pace,'' he said. ''Those who are against India do not like this progress, and even some people within the country, driven by hunger for power, try to run India down. Despite this, we are not only secure but also setting new benchmarks of development,'' he added.