Akhilesh Yadav slams UP govt after pregnant woman taken to hospital on bullock cart

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. PIC/ X

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday slammed the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh after a viral video showed a pregnant woman in Hamirpur being transported to a hospital on a bullock cart through a muddy, waterlogged road when an ambulance allegedly failed to reach her village.

Sharing the video on X, Yadav took a swipe at the state government, saying ambulances had effectively "turned into bullock carts" under BJP rule. He urged the state's health minister to focus on real issues instead of ceremonial appearances.

"Under the BJP's misrule, ambulances in Uttar Pradesh have turned into ‘bull-ances'. Will a trillion-dollar economy run on bullock carts? The chief minister should see the state of roads and ambulances during his next visit, or use binoculars or drones from Delhi if needed," Yadav wrote in Hindi.

According to the news agency PTI, the incident took place on Saturday in Parsadwa Dera Gau Ghat Chhani village, where the pregnant woman's 60-year-old father-in-law, Krishna Kumar Kevat, transported her nearly seven kilometres to the Sisolor Community Health Centre on a bullock cart after the ambulance got stuck in the mud.

The journey took almost three hours through the slushy terrain. Doctors at the hospital said the delivery was still two days away and discharged her after providing primary treatment.

As per PTI, locals said around 500 residents in the area face similar problems every monsoon as the road becomes impassable, cutting them off from nearby towns.

"In emergencies, we have no choice but to carry patients on our shoulders or bullock carts," said social worker Arun Nishad. He added that villagers had staged a six-day protest last March demanding a proper road, after which officials promised construction would begin post the Lok Sabha elections. However, no progress has been made even after a year.

Residents have now appealed to the district administration and the local MLA to ensure road construction and improve connectivity. District officials have not yet commented on the matter.

Mustafabad to be renamed Kabirdham: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath on Monday announced that his government will move a proposal to rename Mustafabad village in Lakhimpur Kheri district as Kabirdham. He said the decision aims to restore the area's historical and cultural connection to Sant Kabir.

Speaking at the Smriti Mahotsav Mela 2025, Adityanath said the renaming aligns with his government's ongoing efforts to revive sites of religious and cultural importance.

"The previous governments focused on building boundary walls of ‘kabristans'. We are focusing on developing pilgrimage sites and preserving our heritage," he said.

The chief minister questioned why the village, despite having no Muslim residents, was still named Mustafabad.

"When I asked about this place, I was told its name is Mustafabad but no Muslims live here. I said the name should be changed to Kabirdham. This is about restoring the honour of a place linked to Sant Kabir," he told the gathering.

Adityanath added that a formal proposal will soon be initiated and necessary administrative steps will follow. He linked the move with earlier renaming initiatives, including the restoration of Ayodhya and Prayagraj.

"Those who ruled earlier renamed Ayodhya as Faizabad and Prayagraj as Allahabad. We are restoring them to their original glory - and now Kabirdham too," he said.

Highlighting his government's broader development vision, Adityanath said the BJP's "double-engine government" is committed to beautifying and promoting every major site of faith in Uttar Pradesh.

"We are ensuring facilities for devotees at places like Kashi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Kushinagar, Barsana, Gokul, and Govardhan. Public funds are now being used for cultural and spiritual rejuvenation," he stated.

The chief minister reiterated that the renaming is part of a cultural revival effort aimed at honouring India's spiritual legacy.

"The era of erasing heritage in the name of secularism has ended," he asserted.

(With PTI inputs)