"No 'Viksit Bharat' without democratic freedom to ask questions": Akhilesh Yadav targets Centre, UP Govt amid BRICS Summit

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 13 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday targeted the Union and Uttar Pradesh governments, asserting that high-profile international events like the BRICS Summit cannot mask domestic governance failures or substitute for real democratic accountability.
Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister stated that while global forums are essential for international collaboration, achieving a truly "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India) requires state governments to actively support democratic freedoms rather than suppress dissent.
Commenting on the global gathering, Yadav said, "Events like this allow us to cooperate with other countries on many fronts, but for the dream of a Viksit Bharat, the state governments must also contribute and provide their support."
He raised sharp questions about democratic space and administrative transparency, targeting the ruling dispensation over its response to public scrutiny. "You cannot ask questions of your state government. If someone asks you a question, you take action against them... If you are dreaming of a Viksit Bharat, at least there should be the freedom to ask questions in a democracy," Yadav noted.
Taking a swipe at public relations exercises and large-scale event management by the government, the SP leader emphasised that structural growth cannot be faked or hidden behind global optics. "Just having events, hiding some things, or keeping them under wraps does not create an accurate picture of you," he added.
This comes after the BJP-led Central Government installed large curtains and temporary barricades to screen off slum clusters and low-income neighbourhoods along key transit routes in the national capital ahead of the 18th BRICS Summit.
India hosted the 18th BRICS Summit under its 2026 Chairmanship on September 12-13. India's Chairmanship is guided by the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, with development, sustainability and innovation forming key areas of focus. (ANI)