Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday turned the acronyms PDA and NDA into rival political narratives on government jobs, calling the Opposition grouping the “Pradesh Dubao Alliance” (Alliance to Ruin the State) and the NDA the “Naukri Denge Alliance” (Alliance That Will Provide Jobs) while taking a swipe at the Samajwadi Party over its supposed recruitment record.
“Earlier, there was the Pradesh Dubao Alliance. Now there is the Naukri Denge Alliance,” he said at the Lok Bhavan auditorium while handing appointment letters to 470 sportspersons selected under the skilled sportsperson quota for the Uttar Pradesh Police.
Taking aim at the SP, he alleged that under its government, jobs were controlled by “one family” and candidates needed “Saifai or sifarish” to secure appointments.
“Earlier, it was Saifai and Sifarish. Today, neither recommendation nor money works in appointments. Today, talent and hard work are being rewarded,” he said.
Yogi asked the newly appointed sportspersons whether anyone had demanded money from them or whether they had needed to seek a recommendation during the recruitment process.
“This is neither a favour of the government nor the benevolence of the chief minister. It is the reward for your sweat and hard work,” he said, asking the recruits to maintain the same transparency and honesty in their police service.
Describing their induction as a journey “from jersey to uniform”, Yogi said the discipline, teamwork, hard work and ability to take decisions under pressure acquired on the sports field would help them in policing.
{{/usCountry}}Describing their induction as a journey “from jersey to uniform”, Yogi said the discipline, teamwork, hard work and ability to take decisions under pressure acquired on the sports field would help them in policing.
{{/usCountry}}The 470 recruits comprise 303 men and 167 women. They include 295 civil police constables —148 men and 147 women—and 63 civil police sub-inspectors, comprising 43 men and 20 women. Another 132 sportspersons have been recruited as PAC constables.
He used the appointments to highlight his government’s policy of providing direct government employment to accomplished sportspersons. He said the government had so far given direct appointments to more than 1,000 sportspersons, with recruitment processes for additional athletes at various stages.
He said seven medal-winning sportspersons had been appointed as deputy superintendents of police, including athletes who had won medals at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. He specifically mentioned hockey players Lalit Upadhyay and Raj Kumar Pal.
The chief minister also said the government had provided more than ₹200 crore in incentive money to skilled sportspersons from Uttar Pradesh who had won medals at major competitions. He urged the recruits to continue their sporting careers after joining the police.
REELS GET YOU LIKES, BUT SPORTS FIELD GIVES YOU LIFE: CM
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday told 470 sportspersons selected under the skilled sportsperson quota for the Uttar Pradesh Police that their appointment marked the beginning rather than the end of their sporting journey.
“Reels get you likes, but the sports field gives you life,” he said.
He then expanded his political attack, alleging that the previous SP government had “nurtured 10 lakh goons”, while his government had provided government jobs to 10 lakh youths.
“When the Samajwadi Party talks about giving jobs to youth, it is like a crocodile preaching peace,” he said. He also urged young people to stay away from liquor and the SP, alleging that both had contributed to the state’s decline.
Contrasting Uttar Pradesh’s image before and after 2017, Yogi alleged that the state was earlier associated with mining, recruitment and riverfront scams, whereas it was now known for sporting institutions and achievements.
He cited the Sports University in Meerut, sports colleges and centres of excellence in every division, along with the “one district, one medical college” and “one district, one product” initiatives.
Referring to India’s medal haul at the Asian Games, Yogi said the country’s identity had changed from being associated with the 2010 Commonwealth Games controversy to being recognised for sporting achievements.
“There is a difference between murder and medals. One destroys recognition, while the other brings recognition,” he said.
Yogi also linked his government’s action against land mafias to its sports infrastructure programme, claiming that about 64,000 hectares of land had been freed from illegal occupation and was being used to develop sports grounds, mini-stadiums, stadiums and international-standard facilities. He said sports colleges were being developed in every division, with centres of excellence equipped with international-level facilities and trained coaches.
The chief minister also asked the newly recruited sportspersons to become part of the state’s campaign against drugs. He suggested that police sportspersons could adopt villages and visit them regularly to organise sporting activities and connect young people with sports.
On career progression, Yogi assured the recruits that only merit would matter for their promotions.
“No one can delay your promotion. If anyone does so, we will delay him instead,” he said.
His remarks come ahead of the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, with Yogi increasingly using the PDA-versus-NDA formulation in his attacks on the opposition. A day earlier, he had described the emerging contest as an “80-20” battle between the NDA and PDA.
The programme also saw the inauguration of sports infrastructure projects, including a synthetic athletics track and 150-player sports hostel at the 35th Battalion PAC in Lucknow; an astro-turf hockey ground and 150-player hostel at the 10th Battalion PAC in Barabanki; an indoor sports complex at the 41st Battalion PAC in Ghaziabad; and a kabaddi ground with a tin shed at the 47th Battalion PAC in Ghaziabad.
Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya said the appointment of sportspersons should not mark the end of their sporting careers. Minister of state (independent charge) for sports and youth welfare Girish Chandra Yadav and DGP Rajeev Krishna said 950 skilled sportspersons had been recruited into the UP Police since 2022. He said sportspersons had also received out-of-turn promotions.