Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday dubbed Narendra Modi 3.0 a “defeated government”, proclaimed that the people have shattered its “arrogance” and predicted that it would not last long, in a speech in the Lok Sabha that was laced with sarcasm and poetry.

Akhilesh, whose party, along with the Congress, dealt a shocking electoral blow to the BJP in heartland Uttar Pradesh, started by thanking the “samajhdar” (mature) voters of the country for ensuring that “loktantra” (democracy) doesn’t turn into “ektantra” (one-party rule).

“Awaam ne tod diya hukumat ka guroor; darbar toh laga hai, bada gamgeen benoor hai par (People have shattered the government’s arrogance; the court has been spread out but the mood is sombre and listless),” Akhilesh said in a sarcastic dig at the third Modi government being compelled to bank on allies to continue in office.

“It feels that for the first time a defeated government is in office. The people are saying that this is a government that won’t run but collapse,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.

Akhilesh Yadav and Awadhesh Prasad in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. PTI picture

Akhilesh took another poetic swipe to highlight how the government was bereft of any strong foundation. “Upar se juda koi taar nahi, niche koi aadhaar nahi, adhar mein jo hai atki hui, woh toh koi sarkar nahi.”

“Pura India yeh samajh gaya hai ki INDIA hi pro-India hai (Entire India knows that INDIA is pro-India),” he said, stressing that the Opposition bloc had scored a “moral victory” in the Lok Sabha elections. He said that the election results were a victory of “positive social justice politics”.

Akhilesh said the poll results had also thrust a “responsibility” on the INDIA bloc. “If August 15, 1947, was a day of independence from colonial rule, then June 4, 2024, was a day of independence from communal politics. The day marks the end of communal politics and the start of ‘samudayik rajniti (community politics),” he said.

The SP boss went on to target the government’s boast of India emerging as the world’s fifth-largest economy.

“But why does the government hide how we are placed in per capita income, where we stand on hunger index, happiness index?” Akhilesh asked, amid silence from the BJP benches.

Akhilesh launched another taunt without naming Modi, saying that “divisive politics has been trounced by politics of integration”.

“The Constitution has won…. The top-down approach of politics has been defeated and now politics will be driven by the voices of the people on the ground,” he said. “The country won’t be run by personal ambitions, but by what people want. Manmarzi (whims) won’t work, jan-marzi (will of the people) will,” he added, amid thumping of desks by the Opposition members.

In his speech on the motion of thanks to the President’s address, Akhilesh said that his opposition to the use of EVMs would continue despite the Samajwadi Party’s good show in the Lok Sabha polls. “Even if we win all 80 seats in UP, we will continue to oppose the EVMs,” he said, adding that he was opposed to the Agnipath scheme too.

Turning his attention to Uttar Pradesh, he sought to play on the “neglect” of chief minister Yogi Adityanath by the Modi-Amit Shah regime, but without taking any names. Akhilesh said that because of the “double-engine government” slogan of the BJP, Uttar Pradesh was paying the price. “The people of UP are bearing the brunt of the one-upmanship between two persons,” he said, hinting at the speculation in political corridors about the perceived rivalry between home minister Shah and Adityanath.

“The achievements of the past 10 years is the birth of a competitive exam mafia…. The papers of all exams were leaked. And now in June, the paper of the country’s most prestigious exam was leaked,” he said, referring to irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance test.

“Why are paper leaks taking place?” Akhilesh asked. “The government is engineering these leaks because it doesn’t want to give jobs. ‘Amrit kaal’ has poisoned the hopes of youngsters,” Akhilesh added.

He recited another couplet seeking to indirectly stress how Adityanath had been ignored by Modi during the inauguration of the Ram temple. “Huzoor e ala khamosh baithe isi gham mein, mehfil lut le gaya koi jab sajai thi humne,” he said, suggesting that the event was organised by someone but was hijacked by someone else.

Amid loud cheers, Akhilesh referred to the victory of Dalit leader Awadhesh Prasad on a Samajwadi ticket from the Faizabad seat that houses the Ram temple.

“Hoiheen sohi jo Ram rachi rakha (What Lord Ram wills, happens),” he said and turned towards the victorious Prasad sitting by his side. “This is his (Ram’s) decision,” Akhilesh added as Prasad stood up to greet the House.