Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath slams Samajwadi Party over its ‘PDA Pathshala’

In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party’s move to establish PDA Pathshalas following the state government’s decision to merge primary schools has become a political flashpoint. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has launched a strong offensive against the party over the issue.

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Addressing a public meeting in Moradabad, Yogi said the BJP government teaches children “G for Ganesh,” but when the SP was in power, it promoted “G for Gadha (donkey).” He accused the Samajwadi Party of trying to turn schools into centres of political activity at a time when the double-engine government is working to improve educational facilities for students.

Bid to ruin education system?

The chief minister described the SP’s initiative to set up PDA Pathshalas as an attempt to destroy the education system. “During the Kalyan Singh government, when ‘G’ stood for Ganesh, the SP objected and wanted it changed to Gadha (donkey). This is the same party that did not hesitate to insult Lord Ganesh,” he said. Yogi also blamed the previous SP government for widespread cheating, delayed teacher recruitment, and encouraging nepotism, casteism, and administrative chaos.

Earlier, the UP government decided to merge Basic Education Council schools with nearby institutions based on student numbers. Schools with fewer than 50 students would be merged to optimise resources. The move has drawn sharp criticism from the Opposition.

In response, the Samajwadi Party has launched PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) Pathshalas aimed at students from marginalised communities. SP leaders have been opening these schools in various districts and personally teaching children. A case was recently filed against SP MLA RK Verma for allegedly breaking open the lock of a school in Pratapgarh district to establish a PDA Pathshala there.

The initiative also sparked controversy after it was reported that some PDA Pathshalas were teaching “A for Akhilesh,” from Saharanpur to Kanpur.

Conspiracy against marginalised: SP

This marks the first time that Chief Minister Yogi has directly and forcefully attacked the SP over the issue. He reiterated his claim that the Samajwadi Party had dismantled the state’s education system through negligence and favouritism, saying, “Teachers were not recruited, and the system was torn apart in the name of nepotism.”

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Despite the criticism, the Samajwadi Party continues to oppose the school merger policy. Party chief Akhilesh Yadav recently posted on the social media platform X, “The people of UP have understood that closing schools is actually a big conspiracy by the BJP to prevent children from the PDA community from getting an education.”

There are also indications that the SP may formally include PDA Pathshalas in its upcoming election manifesto.

(This article was originally published in The Federal Desh.)