SP Leaders Enroll Their Children in English Schools, Advocate Urdu for Others: CM Yogi
Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a scathing attack on the opposition, particularly the Samajwadi Party (SP), on the first day of the state assembly’s budget session on Tuesday. He accused SP leaders of enrolling their own children in English-medium schools while advocating for Urdu when the government seeks to provide better educational facilities for the general public’s children. He alleged that the SP aims to push the country toward fundamentalism, which is completely unacceptable.
Following the Governor’s address, the assembly proceedings commenced at 12:30 PM. Speaker Satish Mahana informed the House about a new arrangement allowing assembly proceedings to be heard not only in Hindi but also in regional languages like Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Braj, and Bundeli, along with English. Legislators could switch channels on their microphones to listen in their preferred language.
Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey stood up to oppose this move, arguing that English had been removed from the Assembly with great effort. He clarified that the opposition was not against regional languages but opposed the reintroduction of English. He also demanded that if English was being brought back, Urdu should also be included.
In response, CM Yogi welcomed the inclusion of Uttar Pradesh’s regional languages in the Assembly proceedings, emphasizing that these languages are dialects of Hindi and deserve preservation and promotion. He highlighted the government’s commitment to setting up separate academies for these languages to ensure their enrichment.
He criticized the SP, stating that opposing Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Braj, and Bundeli is equivalent to opposing the cultural heritage of Uttar Pradesh. He pointed out that Braj was the language of Sant Surdas, and Awadhi was the medium for Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas, which has been a source of spiritual strength for Indians across the world.
Mocking the SP’s stance, Yogi Adityanath stated that opposing every good initiative has become their habit. He accused them of exposing their double standards by sending their children to English-medium schools while pushing Urdu for others.
“SP Wants to Push the Country Towards Fundamentalism”: CM Yogi
The Chief Minister reaffirmed his government’s commitment to promoting Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Braj, and Bundeli by establishing dedicated academies for their preservation. He argued that the opposition’s resistance shows they are not only against development but also against India’s cultural heritage.
He alleged that the SP’s insistence on Urdu in education is an attempt to make children clerics (Maulvis) rather than providing them with modern education. “They want to push the country toward fundamentalism, and that will not be allowed,” he declared.
Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna clarified that English was being introduced as an option, not imposed. He pointed out that people from Uttar Pradesh living abroad might want to follow the Assembly proceedings in English, and this provision would enable them to do so. He dismissed SP’s objections as baseless.
Newly Elected MLA from Milkipur Takes Oath
At the beginning of the session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna requested Speaker Satish Mahana to administer the oath to BJP’s Chandrabhanu Paswan, who won the Milkipur Assembly by-election in Ayodhya district. Following this, Paswan joined the Assembly proceedings.
After discussions and tabling of some amendment bills, the session was adjourned until 11 AM on Wednesday.
