Yogi hits back at Akhilesh’s ‘bulldozer’ threat for Gorakhpur: ‘Requires heart’

A fierce war of words has erupted between Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav over the controversial use of bulldozers against individuals accused of crimes in the state.
The spat began when Akhilesh Yadav, addressing party workers on Tuesday, declared that if the Samajwadi Party comes to power in 2027, all the state’s bulldozers would be directed towards Gorakhpur, the home constituency of Yogi Adityanath.
“As soon as the Samajwadi government is formed in 2027, the bulldozers of the entire state will head towards Gorakhpur,” Yadav had said.
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In a counter-attack on Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath dismissed Yadav’s threat, suggesting that running a bulldozer requires courage, intellect, and determination—qualities he implied Yadav lacks.
“Not everyone’s hands can fit on a bulldozer. It requires both ‘dil and dimaag’ (heart and mind). Only someone with bulldozer-like capability and determination can operate it. Those who grovel before the rioters will not be able to stand in front of a bulldozer,” Adityanath said while addressing an event to distribute appointment letters to newly selected government employees.
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The chief minister also took a personal jab at Yadav, referring to his nickname ‘Tipu’ and suggesting that he is now trying to become a ‘Sultan’.
Adityanath hit out at the SP’s past governance record, claiming that Uttar Pradesh was plagued by lawlessness before the BJP took power in 2017. He accused Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle, Shivpal Yadav, of engaging in extortion during their tenure, saying, “There used to be a competition between ‘chacha-bhatija’ (uncle-nephew) in extorting money. Areas between them were divided.”
“I can see that at this time some man-eating wolves are creating havoc in different districts. More or less the same situation was in the state before the year 2017,” Adityanath said.
CM was speaking in a programme organised for the distribution of appointment letters to Junior Engineers, Foreman and Computer operators selected by UP Subordinate Services Selection Commission.