In a democracy, everyone has the right to disagree and protest, but when that protest blurs the line between truth and falsehood and becomes a weapon to malign the government, it is a dangerous sign. What has happened in Uttar Pradesh over the past few days is evidence of this very dangerous tendency. In a planned manner, incidents were fabricated to malign the government of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, which has done remarkable work on several fronts, from law and order to development, and attempts were then made to mislead the public through social media. This is not merely an attack on a government but an attack on the image of the state and the trust of the general public; at the very least, those doing this should examine themselves in their own mirror.
First, let us talk about Kashi, where the incident is no less serious. During the cleaning of sewer lines in around half a dozen wards, including Shivala, Sarainandan, and Nagwa, workers recovered sacks of sand and cement, wood shavings, stones, plywood, and plastic materials from inside the main sewer lines. Sacks of cement and sand inside a sewer? Does that seem normal? This clearly appears to be a deliberate attempt to block the sewer lines. The cement-filled sacks clearly point towards a larger conspiracy. The objective is also clear: when the sewer line on the main road gets blocked, water will overflow into the adjoining lanes, creating an opportunity to corner the government.
At first glance, it is clear this is part of a planned conspiracy to create a false narrative of administrative failure in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, which is also religiously and culturally significant. But even before the investigation was completed, the opposition began targeting the government. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav attacked the government by sharing videos of foreign tourists regarding waterlogging in Kashi. The SP president neither had to speak nor did he speak about the fact that this waterlogging resulted from a conspiracy to deliberately block the sewer line. However, the mayor presented the truth before the entire media with evidence and also lodged an FIR. Now, the government's opponents themselves appear to be in the dock.
The second incident is no less serious. It concerns the recently concluded press conference of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Everything proceeds normally at this conference, and then it concludes. The chief minister greets the journalists, rises from the stage and begins to leave. Journalists also rise from their seats and begin to leave. At that point, a young woman present there as a journalist loudly says, within everyone's hearing, that her question should be answered. No one knows what the question is. People do not even know who is asking it. But the drama does not end there. In a move meant to stir up a commotion, the young woman says, "If you did not want to answer, why was the press conference called?" At the same time, a sly smile is also visible on her face. Within minutes, this video of the young woman goes viral, and those opposed to the government seem to have been handed a ready-made narrative. No one bothered to find out which channel this young woman is associated with, what her experience is, or how credible she is. A YouTube channel known for serving anti-government content immediately displays hyperactivity, begins broadcasting a full interview with the young woman about the incident and starts using weighty expressions such as "murder of freedom of expression".
The question is whether this was spontaneous or deliberately orchestrated. Notice that the young woman repeatedly calls out, "Mukhyamantri ji, Mukhyamantri ji." She keeps herself in front of the camera throughout. Within just a few minutes, the video becomes available to everyone. The young woman's contact number also becomes available to numerous people opposed to government. This in itself raises suspicion. The entire sequence of events seems more like a prepared script than a spontaneous act of journalistic curiosity, with the sole objective of putting the government in the dock and turning it into a social media issue. Here, the opposition is expected to take responsibility, but this video was also circulated from Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav's X handle with a sharp comment. Viewed seriously, the entire episode appears to have been planned to target the government.
These two incidents are not isolated. Over the past few months, several such cases have surfaced that were initially projected as major issues, with trolls inflating them like bubbles. Still, as soon as investigations began, these issues fizzled out as quickly as they were created. This pattern indicates that it is not a coincidence but a planned strategy under which minor incidents are exaggerated. Manufactured outrage is created on social media to mislead people before the truth can come to light. Recently, some videos from other states were similarly made viral by falsely presenting them as dilapidated schools in UP.
The changes that the Yogi Government has brought about in Uttar Pradesh over the past nine years are not hidden from anyone. Improvements in law and order, the crackdown on mafias, infrastructure development, increased investment, and efforts in women's safety are transforming the state's image. In such a situation, when the opposition lacks substantive policy issues, it tries to divert public attention by resorting to such fabricated or exaggerated incidents. This kind of politics harms not only the ruling party but the entire democratic framework. We must distinguish between opposition and disinformation. The ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood must be preserved. When political parties, without verification, turn the acts of anti-social elements into political weapons, or when they themselves become involved in such conspiracies, it violates democratic norms and exposes their ideological weakness and hollowness.
In this era of social media, information flows so rapidly that falsehood, disguised as truth, reaches lakhs of people within minutes. In such a situation, responsible political leadership has a duty to refrain from making hasty comments and to present its position on the basis of facts. The recent attacks on the Yogi Government are examples of this very irresponsible politics. With the Assembly elections approaching, there is every reason to fear that this dirty game will gain further momentum.
About the Author: Avneesh Tyagi is a Political Analyst and Senior Journalist. With extensive experience in news media, his work focuses on electoral dynamics, political strategy, and contemporary public affairs.
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