Lucknow

Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that a purported viral video involving a senior Uttar Pradesh police officer deployed for the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026 has damaged the image of the Yogi Adityanath government.

Without identifying the officer, the Samajwadi Party chief said the video had exposed what he called the hollowness of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s claims on women’s respect and “naari vandan.”

In a post on X, Yadav said the widely circulated “obscene” video of the senior officer had seriously affected the reputation of the Uttar Pradesh government’s administration and governance.

He further claimed such incidents were not isolated within the BJP-led system and said women associated with the party would feel embarrassed over the matter.

Linking the issue to the chief minister, Yadav said any disciplinary action taken against the officer would reflect Adityanath’s real position. He added that the government would now be compelled to act and would not be able to dismiss the clip as AI-generated.

Calling for strict measures, Yadav said “zero tolerance” should apply not only to criminals but also to officials involved in such conduct.

READ MORE: Veteran journalist, author Seema Mustafa raised the bar for scribes

The remarks came a day after campaigning ended for the second and final phase of the West Bengal elections, where political parties traded accusations over infiltration, corruption, unemployment and electoral roll revision.