To Yogi's '2 namoone' jibe, Akhilesh hits back with 'rift' between Delhi-Lucknow

Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath targeted opposition figures, particularly Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, over their alleged absence during national crises.

Published on: Dec 22, 2025, 16:26:06 IST

By HT News Desk

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday launched a sharp political attack on opposition leaders, taking an indirect swipe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav by remarking that there were “two namoone”, meaning “specimens” who chose to leave the country whenever critical national issues arose.

The chief minister made the comments while responding to allegations raised by the Samajwadi Party over an alleged illegal trade in codeine-based cough syrup, during the second day of the winter session of the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, as per a report by news agency PTI. Dismissing the opposition’s charges, Adityanath suggested that the controversy was driven by political motives rather than facts.

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He alleged that the issue pointed towards possible involvement of individuals linked to the Samajwadi Party, claiming that financial transactions related to the case had passed through the account of an office-bearer of the party’s Lohia Vahini. The matter was under investigation by the Special Task Force, he added.

Without naming anyone directly, Adityanath said one of the “two namoone” was based in Delhi and the other in Lucknow, adding that both tended to disappear whenever serious debates took place in the country. He further mocked Akhilesh Yadav, whom he often refers to as “Babua” in public speeches, suggesting that he too would soon leave the country on a foreign trip while his party continued to raise slogans in 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,” he said, as quoted by the agency.

ALSO READ | Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav accuses BJP of concealing cough syrup scandal

Akhilesh Yadav hits back

Akhilesh Yadav hit back, calling Adityanath’s comments an open confession of rifts within the BJP. Speaking in the Assembly and later posting on social media platform X, the former chief minister said the remark reflected an internal struggle between the party’s leadership in Delhi and its state unit in Lucknow.

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Describing the statement as a “self-acceptance,” Yadav said it was surprising that the supposed Delhi-Lucknow power tussle had become so evident.

(With inputs from PTI)

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