Now Reading: Yogi hits back at Akhilesh over ‘infiltrator’ remark on Uttarakhand
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Yogi hits back at Akhilesh over ‘infiltrator’ remark on Uttarakhand
The Story in Brief
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a sharp counter at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday, 11 November, over his comment calling Uttarakhand residents ‘infiltrators’. Speaking at the Uttarakhand Mahotsav 2026 in Lucknow’s Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Upavan, Yogi said Akhilesh’s thinking was ‘narrow and divisive’.
Without naming Akhilesh, Yogi said, “If there were no daughter of Uttarakhand (Dimple Yadav), you would be grazing buffaloes somewhere in Saifai.” He recalled that UP’s first CM, Pant, was from Uttarakhand, and named former CMs Bahuguna and Tiwari, CDS Generals Rawat and Chauhan, NSA Doval and freedom fighter Garhwali. Yogi also accused those who ‘hug Pakistani and Bangladeshi infiltrators’ of poisoning minds against Devbhoomi.
Akhilesh had triggered the row by saying, ‘Who are the biggest infiltrators in UP? From Uttarakhand…’ Yogi assured the Uttarakhand Mahaparishad that the festival would be held annually at the venue.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Yogi Adityanath, without naming Akhilesh Yadav, said at the Uttarakhand Mahotsav 2026 in Lucknow on Wednesday, 11 November, that those calling Uttarakhand residents infiltrators had a narrow mindset. He said that if there were no daughter of Uttarakhand (his wife Dimple Yadav), Akhilesh would be grazing buffaloes in Saifai. Yogi listed Uttarakhand contributions: UP's first CM Govind Ballabh Pant, former CMs Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna and Narayan Datt Tiwari, CDS Generals Bipin Rawat and Anil Chauhan, NSA Ajit Doval, and freedom fighter Veer Chandra Singh Garhwali. He accused those who 'hug Pakistani and Bangladeshi infiltrators' of poisoning minds against Devbhoomi. Akhilesh had triggered the row by saying, 'Who are the biggest infiltrators in UP? From Uttarakhand…'
Coverage: 3 sources, 1 pro-government, 2 neutral
Sources (3): aajtak.in (pro government), bhaskar.com (neutral report), tv9hindi.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
Update, 12 November 2026: this story now draws on 3 sources.
Update, 12 November 2026: further reports on this story from timesofindia.indiatimes.com, hindustantimes.com.
