Akhilesh targets BJP over fertilizer shortage

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Uttar Pradesh of disappointing farmers and deepening the fertilizer crisis in the state. In a post on social media platform X with the hashtag ‘Ayodhya-fertilizer-shortage’, Yadav said, “Kah gaye… aisa bjp kaliyug aayega… krishak khayega lathi-danda… fertilizer crisis deepens.” He also shared a 31-second video in which a policeman is seen controlling a crowd of people with a lathi. Meanwhile, Ayodhya District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde issued a clarification rejecting these claims. He said the video is from Monday but “there was no lathi charge at all”. He said that due to the crowd, some people had tried to break the queue. The police took only mild action to maintain discipline. He said the situation remained normal and farmers did not face any difficulty. The District Magistrate said the state government is ensuring adequate fertilizer supply across the district. He said, so far 43,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer has been distributed in Ayodhya – which is more than last year. By the end of September, this figure will surpass last year’s record.