Samajwadi chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, for the way the state police handled an FIR.
Yadav told reporters in Lucknow that people had repeatedly raised concerns about the functioning of the police and claimed that the force was acting like BJP workers.
He also said that the situation would only change if the BJP was ousted from power. The comment was made as a fresh political debate erupted on the Supreme Court’s criticism of UP Police.
What was the Supreme Court saying?
The Supreme Court's observations came during the hearing of a case involving an FIR concerning a motorcycle rider.
According to reports, the complainant said he had caught the alleged accused at the spot and handed him over to the police. However, the FIR was initially registered against an unknown person, with the accused’s name added later.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Sanjeev Sachdeva questioned the police's handling of the case and asked how members of the public could trust the police under such circumstances.
The court also orally suggested that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) could be asked to take over investigations in Uttar Pradesh if such practices continued.
Akhilesh links issue to BJP Government
Yadav’s reaction to the court's observations is that the issue is related to the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh.
The SP chief implied that the police had become politically connected, and he said the courts and public had raised concerns about the police from time to time.
He also said the bigger crisis could be resolved if the BJP were removed from power. These statements are Yadav's political assessment and should not be treated as an established finding by the Supreme Court or any other independent authority.
Yadav also Raises PDA Discrimination Claim
During the same interaction, Yadav also claimed that the BJP government had taken a discriminatory approach since coming to power.
He said the courts had taken note of the issue, and the PDA communities (specifically the Pichhda, Dalit and Alpashankhyak communities) had been the ones who faced the most discrimination in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
The remarks came as the Samajwadi Party was engaged in political activity ahead of upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Political Row Follows Supreme Court Remarks
The Supreme Court’s criticism of the police has provided fresh political ammunition to the opposition in Uttar Pradesh.
Yadav has previously criticized the state government over policing and governance. In September, he alleged that the BJP government was disregarding legal norms and claimed that the police had been given a “free hand.” Both the BJP and state governments have their own views on governance and law and order.
The latest comments thus come at a time of political tension over policing, governance and institutional accountability in Uttar Pradesh as well.
Investigation and court Proceedings continue
The comments made by the Supreme Court were oral during the hearing and concerned the handling of the FIR before it. The court’s observations should not be confused with a final judicial finding that the entire Uttar Pradesh Police is politically controlled.
And the political debate around the remarks is likely to continue as parties prepare for elections in the state in the upcoming election years.
