Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 30 : Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to take credit for the construction of metro networks in Delhi and Noida, asserting that these projects were initiated and completed under SP governments in Uttar Pradesh.
Reacting to President Droupadi Murmu's address to Parliament during the commencement of the Budget Session, Yadav alleged that the BJP was misrepresenting the work done by the SP.
"The President, in her speech to the Parliament ahead of the Union Budget, said that India is getting the largest metro network. The Noida to Greater Noida metro network was built by the Samajwadi Party; similarly, the Noida to Delhi metro was built by SP," Akhilesh Yadav told the media on Thursday.
He further criticised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, alleging that the state government is opposing metro construction in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's constituency of Varanasi.
"The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister aims to build an underwater metro, even though the state hasn't yet built one on land. You are not providing employment opportunities, inflation is rising, and they plan to build an underwater metro. Meanwhile, he is preventing the metro construction from taking place in the Prime Minister's constituency. The SP has instead been working on this regard...," Yadav added.
Earlier on Wednesday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, stating that the legislation could compromise the budget and adversely affect employment generation in Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, he said, "Our take on VB Ram G is very clear. In Uttar Pradesh, almost 800 Gram Sabhas have become urban. The budget is being compromised, which will affect their functioning and the generation of employment as expected."
The remarks came amid protests by Opposition parties in Parliament over the scrapping of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) during President Droupadi Murmu's address to the joint sitting of the two Houses ahead of the Budget Session.
President Murmu, in her address, highlighted the VB-G RAM G Act, stating, "For employment and development in rural areas, Viksit Bharat-G RAM G law has been formed. With this new reform, there will be 125 days of employment guarantees in villages."
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the media outside Parliament ahead of the Budget Session 2026 highlighted India's strong growth trajectory, describing the start of this quarter as "very positive" and calling a self-confident India "a ray of hope for the world today."
The PM said that the country has boarded the "Reform Express" and has emerged from long-pending problems while working towards long-term solutions. He said it is time to find solutions, not create hurdles, ahead of the Budget Session.
The Union Budget 2026-27 is scheduled to be presented on Sunday, February 1.