Yogi Adityanath calls Cong, SP 'Jinnah worshippers' at Shamli ₹581 crore project launch
Synopsis
At a ₹581 crore project launch in Shamli, CM Yogi Adityanath branded Congress and SP as 'Jinnah worshippers' — his sharpest opposition attack in recent weeks. With 89 development projects as the backdrop, the speech blended infrastructure optics with hardline political rhetoric, signalling the BJP's western UP strategy ahead of future electoral cycles.
Key Takeaways
CM Yogi Adityanath branded Congress and Samajwadi Party as 'worshippers of Jinnah' at a public event in Shamli on 17 July .
The occasion was the inauguration and foundation-stone laying of 89 development projects worth ₹581 crore in Shamli.
Yogi claimed Uttar Pradesh now leads India in sugarcane , sugar , and ethanol production, with 122 sugar mills operational.
Sugarcane farmers are currently receiving ₹400 per quintal , according to the Chief Minister.
Three expressway corridors — Delhi-Dehradun , Shamli-Ambala , and the proposed Shamli-Gorakhpur — are set to make the district a key western UP development hub.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday, 17 July launched a sharp attack on the opposition Indian National Congress and Samajwadi Party, branding them 'worshippers of Jinnah' and accusing them of stoking divisions for political gain. The remarks came during the inauguration and foundation-stone laying of 89 development projects worth ₹581 crore in Shamli, western Uttar Pradesh.
What Yogi Said
'There can be no alternative to development,' the Chief Minister declared. 'Those who follow Jinnah's ideology will divide society whenever they get an opportunity, in the name of caste or region. Their goal is to spread anarchy, weaken the security fabric of women and businessmen.'
The remarks are among the most direct invocations of Muhammad Ali Jinnah — the founder of Pakistan — as a political epithet against domestic opponents, a rhetorical device the Chief Minister has deployed before ahead of state electoral cycles.
Shamli's Transformation: The BJP Narrative
Drawing a sharp contrast between what he described as the pre- and post-2017 era, Yogi said Shamli had once become a 'symbol of terror' but had since emerged as a 'new hub of development.' He alleged that prior to the Bharatiya Janata Party government coming to power, the district witnessed open lawlessness, women afraid to step outside, and farmers in distress — conditions he said have since been reversed.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the convergence of three major road corridors — the Delhi-Dehradun, Shamli-Ambala, and the proposed Shamli-Gorakhpur expressways — as factors that would make the district a critical node for Western Uttar Pradesh and the National Capital Region (NCR).
Sugarcane, Sugar and Ethanol: The Economic Claims
Yogi asserted that Uttar Pradesh now leads the country in the production of sugarcane, sugar, and ethanol. He said that while sugar mills were in crisis in 2017, the BJP government had revived them — with 122 sugar mills currently operational across the state. Sugarcane farmers, he added, are now receiving ₹400 per quintal, with payment systems described as significantly more reliable than before.
Historical Reference and Local Pride
The Chief Minister also acknowledged the historical significance of the region, recalling the contributions of Shamli and Kairana to the Revolution of 1857. He noted that this belt has also played a pivotal role in earning global recognition for Indian classical music.
Political Context
The event comes as the BJP intensifies its outreach in western Uttar Pradesh, a region with a complex social fabric and significant electoral weight. The 'Jinnah' framing is a recurring BJP strategy to paint the Congress and Samajwadi Party as sympathetic to minority appeasement — a charge both parties have consistently rejected. This is the latest in a series of high-profile district visits by the Chief Minister as the party consolidates its position ahead of future electoral tests.
Point of View
Deployed most heavily in western Uttar Pradesh where communal polarisation has historically moved votes. Framing the Congress and Samajwadi Party as ideological heirs to Pakistan's founder allows the BJP to sidestep policy debate and contest elections on identity terrain where it holds structural advantage. That this attack was delivered at a development event — 89 projects, ₹581 crore — is itself telling: the party wants both the infrastructure optic and the culture-war headline. What is missing from the speech is any independent verification of the transformation claims; Shamli's own socio-economic indicators deserve scrutiny before the narrative of complete revival is accepted at face value.
NationPress
17 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did CM Yogi Adityanath say about Congress and SP in Shamli?
Yogi Adityanath called Congress and the Samajwadi Party 'worshippers of Jinnah,' accusing them of dividing society along caste and regional lines for political gain. He made the remarks on 17 July during a development event in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh.
What development projects were launched in Shamli on 17 July?
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 89 development projects worth ₹581 crore in Shamli. The projects are part of the BJP government's push to position the district as a key development centre for western Uttar Pradesh.
What did Yogi claim about Uttar Pradesh's sugarcane sector?
Yogi said Uttar Pradesh now leads India in sugarcane, sugar, and ethanol production, with 122 sugar mills currently operational. He added that sugarcane farmers are receiving ₹400 per quintal and that payment systems have improved significantly since 2017.
Why is Shamli significant in the context of this event?
Shamli is a district in western Uttar Pradesh with a historically complex social fabric and electoral importance. Yogi cited it as an example of transformation under the BJP government, contrasting its current development trajectory with what he described as lawlessness and neglect before 2017.
What is the political significance of the 'Jinnah' rhetoric used by Yogi?
Invoking Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, as a label for domestic opposition parties is a BJP strategy aimed at framing rivals as sympathetic to minority appeasement. Both Congress and the Samajwadi Party have consistently rejected the charge. The rhetoric is used most frequently in western UP, a key electoral battleground.
