Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday took a veiled dig at Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for carrying a bag to Parliament with “Palestine” emblazoned on it while highlighting how Uttar Pradesh was helping youths find jobs in Israel.

“A leader of the Congress carries a bag featuring Palestine but we are giving jobs to the youths of Uttar Pradesh in Israel. Over 5,600 youths of Uttar Pradesh have gone to Israel. They are getting a salary of ₹1.50 lakh while lodging and food are free,” the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said in the Assembly on Tuesday without taking Priyanka’s name.

The Congress’s Wayanad MP had on Monday expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine by carrying abag with “Palestine” inscribed on it.

On Tuesday, Priyanka was seen carrying a cream-coloured handbag to Parliament on which was written “Bangladesh ke Hindu aur Isaiyon ke saath khade ho” (Stand with the Hindus and Christians of Bangladesh)”.

Adityanath didn’t say anything about Priyanka’s choice of bag on Tuesday.

Israel had sought around 10,000 construction workers from India to address skill shortages in the infrastructure and healthcare sectors in the wake of the Gaza war and the Centre had in November last year agreed to send them. Under that agreement, the Uttar Pradesh government has sent several unemployed youths to Israel.

“The Israel ambassador had recently met me and said that the youths of Uttar Pradesh were working well. They want to employ more youths from the state. And they have the assurance of security also,” Adityanath claimed.

Replying to a question on the state government’s "apathy" towards the unemployed youths, the chief minister said: “We follow transparency in appointment but I want to remind the people that a man with a fake degree of graduation was appointed chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) during Samajwadi Party's rule. He had secured third division in every examination and a forged degree of graduation…. We also shouldn’t forget that out of the 86 vacant posts of subdivisional magistrates, the SP government had appointed 56 from one caste only.”

Adityanath claimed his government had given seven lakh jobs since 2017.

Anil Yadav, who was appointed chairman of the UPPSC during SP rule, was suspended on the direction of the high court in 2015. The BJP alleges that the SP had only engaged candidates from the Yadav caste as senior administrative officials and police officers.

The SP has denied the allegation.

Ram Gopal Yadav, SP general secretary and Rajya Sabha member, said in Delhi: “We can’t do anything if someone wearing saffron clothes (bhagwa) starts speaking lies.”

Responding to Adityanath’s allegation that the SP government used to forcibly shut down temples, Yadav said: “It is not true that we closed any temple. Such things never happened during our rule (2012 to 2017).”

Speaking in the House, Adityanath also urged the Opposition to better understand the government’s policies and initiatives for the welfare of the youth in the state.

“The Opposition has limited itself to criticising the government. They should also say good things so that they also gain something good. Thefact is that we don’t play with anybody’s career. The youths are happy now becauseour public representatives go and distribute appointment letters to them to ensure that the system is transparent,” he said

The state government also proposed a supplementary budget of ₹17,865 crore.