Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has defended Aditi Yadav, the elder daughter of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and a student at University College London, after she was targeted by allegedly fake and defamatory social media posts. Speaking on the issue, Yogi condemned the remarks, said such comments against a daughter were unacceptable, and revealed that he had directed police to register an FIR against those responsible.The controversy began after several social media users allegedly circulated posts making false claims about Aditi Yadav. According to a complaint filed with the police, a photograph of her was shared online along with fabricated allegations. The complainant said the image had been morphed and that the claims were “entirely false and malicious”.Among the claims circulated online was a post alleging that Aditi, who studies in London, had gone missing after stealing Rs 7 crore from her family and leaving with a friend. The allegations were shared on social media before complaints were filed. The accounts that initially posted the claims have since been deleted.Aditi Yadav studies in London and is pursuing an undergraduate degree in Politics and International Relations at University College London (UCL), one of the UK’s leading universities.As the controversy grew, Yogi Adityanath said he intervened immediately after learning about the posts.“I saw recently that some people were making comments on social media against the daughter of Akhilesh Yadav ji. As soon as it came to my notice, I immediately told the police to register an FIR against it,” the Chief Minister said.He added, “A daughter is a daughter, and a daughter deserves respect,” and said that “any derogatory comment against a daughter is unacceptable.”Following complaints by Samajwadi Party leaders, an FIR was registered at the cyber cell of the Kanpur Police Commissionerate against individuals accused of sharing and circulating the posts.While defending the police action, Yogi also advised Akhilesh Yadav to ensure that his party workers and supporters maintain restraint in their language and behaviour.“Akhilesh ji, you give advice to others, but you must also see that your followers and workers keep their language restrained,” he said.“You need to teach your own people. It would be better if you make them understand, and if they cannot understand, hand them over to us; we will make them understand properly,” the Chief Minister added.Aditi has largely stayed away from active politics, though she came into public view during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign when she joined her mother, Dimple Yadav, on the campaign trail in Mainpuri.
