Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath on Saturday condemned several alleged derogatory social media posts directed at Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav’s daughter, Aditi Yadav, directing the police to file an FIR and take immediate action against the ones responsible. 

He issued the orders while addressing a public gathering in Azamgarh, terming the offensive remarks against any daughter unacceptable and contrary to Indian social values. He emphasised that personal attacks on family members should have no place in political or public discourse, irrespective of ideological disparities. 

“A daughter is a daughter”: CM Yogi

Speaking at the event, CM Yogi said he had personally instructed the law enforcement authorities to resort to legal proceedings after learning about the controversy. He asserted, “I recently saw that some people were making objectionable comments on social media against Akhilesh Yadav ji’s daughter. As soon as the matter came to my notice, I directed the police to register an FIR at the earliest.” 

He added, “A daughter is a daughter. We have grown up with the belief that a daughter in a village belongs to the entire village, and a sister is everyone’s sister. We have never drawn any distinction.” 

CM sends message to Yadav, other workers of SP

While condemning the aforementioned incident, CM Yogi also urged Akhilesh Yadav to ensure that members of his own party maintain decorum in public life. He remarked that political leaders should encourage their supporters and workers to exercise restraint in their language and behaviour, particularly on social media platforms.

Pointing towards the Samajwadi Party leadership, he said that if people failed to heed such advice, authorities would ensure appropriate action was taken in accordance with the law. 

How did the controversy begin?

The controversy began on June 9 when a social media post allegedly carrying false, defamatory and fabricated claims about Akhilesh Yadav’s daughter, Aditi, surfaced online. 

Officials aware of the incident said the post contained objectionable remarks, linked her to criminal activities and also features a morphed picture allegedly intended to malign her reputation. The content quickly circulated across social media platforms, triggering outrage and demands for legal action. 

The cops have identified one Bharat Kumar Patel as the person who allegedly uploaded the original post. Two others, identified as Nageshwar Singh Baghel and Vinod Kumar Yadav, have also been booked for allegedly making abusive comments in response. 

The police have registered a case under Sections 79 and 336 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act. Officials said the case is now being probed by cyber-crime officials.