Akhilesh Yadav infiltrators remark: Yogi Adityanath calls it divisive, says UP’s first CM was from Uttarakhand

The Akhilesh Yadav infiltrators remark drew a counter-attack on Wednesday from Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who said Uttarakhand gave Uttar Pradesh its first chief minister, several of its rivers and many of its soldiers. Adityanath spoke at the Uttarakhand Mahotsav in Lucknow, PTI was quoted as saying in a PressNewsAgency report.

What Adityanath said in Lucknow

Adityanath was born in Pauri Garhwal, which is now part of the hill state. He said the comment showed a narrow outlook. “This is a divisive mindset,” he said. He added that “Uttar Pradesh’s first chief minister was also from Uttarakhand”, a reference to Govind Ballabh Pant, who was born in Almora.

He named the Ganga, Yamuna, Saryu, Ramganga and Rapti as rivers that rise in Uttarakhand. He also pointed to General Bipin Rawat, India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, former CDS General Anil Chauhan and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, all from the state. Almost every family in Uttarakhand, he said, has a member serving in the armed forces.

Key numbers and dates

• 24 October 2026: the day Yadav made the remark, according to PressNewsAgency.
• 1994: the year activists demanding a separate Uttarakhand were fired on at Rampur Tiraha in Muzaffarnagar, an episode Dhami raised, per IANS in The Hans India.
• 2000: the year Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, ETV Bharat reported.
• 2027: the year Dhami said the Congress would face a democratic response from the state’s people, per ETV Bharat.

Background: the Akhilesh Yadav infiltrators remark

Accounts of Yadav’s wording differ. IANS quoted the Samajwadi Party chief as saying “Most infiltrators in UP are from Uttarakhand.” ETV Bharat said that in a video he named the biggest infiltrator in Uttar Pradesh and added “He is from Uttarakhand”, in an apparent reference to Adityanath. PTI reported that he also described Adityanath as an “ideological infiltrator”, adding that he should be sent back to Uttarakhand.

Dhami answered on 24 October. He said calling the people of Uttarakhand infiltrators “is an insult to the pride of the Devbhoomi and to our struggles”. He recalled that “bullets were fired at the agitators demanding a separate Uttarakhand state at Rampur Tiraha in Muzaffarnagar” while Yadav’s father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, was chief minister. Dhami’s reaction fits the line he took when he said the BJP will win a third straight term in Uttarakhand.

What people said

Congress state spokesperson Sujata Paul said that no one had the right to make such remarks regarding Uttarakhand, ETV Bharat reported. BJP state spokesperson Mathura Dutt Joshi called Yadav’s statement “highly unfortunate” and said his effigy will be burnt in protest.

The BJP alleges the remark was aimed at the residents of Uttarakhand. The reports do not carry a reply from Yadav to Adityanath’s Wednesday comments.

What happens next in the Uttarakhand election 2027 contest

With Uttarakhand due to vote in 2027, the Akhilesh Yadav infiltrators remark is likely to keep drawing responses from both sides. The draft voter list is due on 12 November, with claims and objections open until 11 December. Whether Yadav clarifies who he meant is the next thing to watch.