Akhilesh Yadav Defends 'PDA Paathshala' Amid Controversy

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the 'PDA Paathshala', Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav reiterated on Tuesday that this educational initiative cannot be quashed by law enforcement. He urged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to visit the site and observe the prevailing conditions firsthand. Yadav emphasized the necessity for his party to continue educating students until the state government recruits new teachers for schools that have been either closed or merged.

Yadav stated, "PDA Paathshala cannot be stopped by the police. The CM himself must attend the pathshala and see the conditions. The government has itself accepted that it has closed many schools and also merged some of them." He noted that Samajwadi Party workers will continue teaching students until new recruits are in place. This statement comes in response to harsh criticism from Uttar Pradesh BJP President Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, who accused the SP-led initiative of fostering nepotism and tampering with children's futures by teaching biased content.

In defense, SP Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav condemned the FIR against party leader Farhad Alam, who was accused of politicizing English alphabets in the 'PDA Paathshala'. Ram Gopal Yadav described the FIR as the product of "ignorant people" and "petty-minded" officials in power. He defended the curriculum by arguing, "If we teach 'A for Akhilesh', 'B for Babasaheb', what is wrong with it? Learning efficiency should dictate teaching methods, not political bias."

(With inputs from agencies.)