The Uttar Pradesh budget session began on a turbulent note on Monday, with Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs creating a massive uproar during the Governor Anandiben Patel's address. The opposition staged loud protests, raising slogans and displaying banners and posters, targeting the Yogi Adityanath government over issues including the Special Investigation Report (SIR) process, form Seven, inflation, law and order, and alleged irregularities in the state.
SP MLAs protest with placards
The protests were planned following directions from SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who had instructed his party MLAs to highlight these issues during the session. SP members raised concerns about the alleged removal of party supporters from voter lists under form seven and claimed that the SIR process was being misused to target them. They also protested against other issues, such as unemployment, law and order, farmers' grievances, and the alleged demolition of a temple at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi.
Some placards carried slogans like "The entire public is uniting, BJP is defeated by PDA," "Uproot the roots of corruption, a new India is ready," and "Daylight robbery and propaganda by the BJP government." The commotion was not limited to the assembly premises, as protests continued outside as well.
Government ready for debate on all issues: CM Yogi
Amidst a massive uproar in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath maintained composure, smiled, and thumped the table, asserting that the government is ready to debate all issues. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and other BJP MLAs joined in chanting "Jai Shri Ram" in support.
Party MLA Sachin Yadav, holding a poster of Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, raised the issue of the demolition at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi and alleged that the government had insulted Holkar, who had developed the ghats nearly 300 years ago.
UP Budget session
The UP Budget is scheduled to be presented on February 11, 2026, and the first day of the session indicates that opposition parties, particularly SP and Congress, are set to corner the government on multiple fronts in the coming days.
The SP leadership has also stated that evidence of irregularities will be submitted to the Election Commission and claimed that the targeting of PDA members through Form Seven undermines democratic processes. Meanwhile, CM Yogi reiterated that the government will continue its administrative work and ensure law and order, urging the opposition to abandon disruptive tactics in favor of meaningful debate.
CM Yogi Adityanath urges Opposition not to disrupt House proceedings
Addressing mediapersons ahead of the Assembly sitting, CM Yogi urged the Opposition not to disrupt House proceedings during the Budget Session of the Legislative Assembly. He said that the State government will present an economic survey to showcase the state's achievements in the journey of becoming "a breakthrough state in the Indian economy."
The Chief Minister said, "The legislature is indeed an important pillar of democracy. It functions through dialogue, not by disrupting proceedings. If any member wants to raise an issue, disrupting the proceedings is, in a way, an attempt to dilute the very issues they want to draw attention to."
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