Akhilesh hits back at Yogi over ‘two namoone’ jibe

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday launched a sharp attack on opposition leaders during the winter session of the state Assembly, taking an indirect swipe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over their alleged absence during critical national moments.

Responding to allegations raised by the Samajwadi Party over an alleged illegal trade in codeine-based cough syrup, Adityanath dismissed the charges as politically motivated. He claimed the controversy pointed to possible involvement of individuals linked to the Samajwadi Party, alleging that financial transactions connected to the case had passed through the account of an office-bearer of the party’s Lohia Vahini. The matter, he said, was under investigation by the Special Task Force.

During his address, the chief minister remarked that there were “two namoone” — meaning “specimens” — in the country who chose to leave whenever serious national discussions took place. Without naming anyone, he said one of them was based in Delhi and the other in Lucknow. He further mocked Akhilesh Yadav, whom he often refers to as “Babua,” suggesting that he too would soon travel abroad while his party continued raising slogans inside the Assembly.

“There are two namoone in the country, one in Delhi and the other in Lucknow. Whenever there’s a discussion in the country, these individuals run away,” Adityanath said in the House.

Akhilesh Yadav hit back strongly, calling the chief minister’s remark an open admission of internal rifts within the Bharatiya Janata Party. Speaking in the Assembly and later posting on social media platform X, the former chief minister said the comment reflected an ongoing power struggle between the BJP’s leadership in Delhi and its state unit in Lucknow.

Describing Adityanath’s statement as a “self-acceptance,” Yadav said it was surprising that the alleged Delhi–Lucknow tussle within the ruling party had become so evident in public discourse.