Yogi Adityanath

An Indian Express investigation counted 186 people killed by police between Yogi's arrival in March 2017 and May 2023, with more than 5,000 others wounded by gunfire in 'encounters'. The approach prompted allegations of extrajudicial executions and an earlier NHRC notice.

State of the evidence

police data and press investigations documented

Legal status — source text

varying reviews depending on the incident; no personal conviction of Yogi

Attribution

political responsibility for security policy, without personally attributing every police shooting

A stampede at the Sangam during the Maha Kumbh on 29 January 2025 killed dozens of people. The opposition accused the administration of mismanagement and prioritising a 'VIP culture'. Yogi established a judicial commission and disputed allegations of systemic failure.

State of the evidence

stampede, deaths, judicial inquiry and compensation proceedings documented

Legal status — source text

later official toll of 37 deaths; judicial commission; in January 2026, Allahabad High Court ordered compensation to be finalised within 30 days in one case

Attribution

political responsibility as Chief Minister and principal government official overseeing organisation; no personal criminal liability established

In late 2020, the Yogi government adopted an ordinance against religious conversions obtained through force or fraud or linked to certain marriages, following a political campaign using the term 'love jihad'. Critics regarded it as an instrument primarily targeting interfaith couples and Muslim men.

State of the evidence

ordinance and subsequent legislation documented, alongside public judicial challenges

Legal status — source text

no personal proceedings against Yogi; constitutionality and implementation challenged in various proceedings

Attribution

direct political responsibility as promoter of the measure

Uttar Pradesh became emblematic of bulldozers being used against properties linked to individuals accused of offences or violence. Opponents denounced the practice as extrajudicial and sometimes discriminatory punishment.

State of the evidence

demolitions and Supreme Court guidelines documented

Legal status — source text

Supreme Court ruled that a home cannot be demolished as punishment for an accused person and imposed nationwide procedural safeguards

Attribution

political responsibility for a publicly endorsed practice, without personally attributing every demolition

In July 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government required restaurants and stalls along Kanwar Yatra routes to display the names of their owners and employees. Critics argued that this could facilitate identification and boycotts of Muslim-owned businesses.

State of the evidence

government directive and judicial suspension documented

Legal status — source text

Supreme Court provisionally prohibited mandatory disclosure of identities; information on the type of food could still be displayed

Attribution

direct political responsibility, as Yogi extended the directive statewide

Proceedings concerned a speech Yogi delivered before violence in Gorakhpur in 2007. The complainants challenged, among other things, the refusal to authorise his prosecution after he became Chief Minister.

State of the evidence

complaint, investigation, forensic report and judicial decisions documented

Legal status — source text

investigation closed in 2017; CFSL found the central CD altered or edited; Supreme Court dismissed the appeal concerning prosecution sanction in 2022; a separate protest petition remained

Attribution

personal responsibility for the alleged remarks, but no criminal guilt established

Following protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, the Uttar Pradesh government initiated proceedings to recover damages from individuals accused of vandalism and publicly displayed photographs, names and addresses of dozens of them in Lucknow.

State of the evidence

administrative measures, posters displaying names and addresses, and High Court judgment documented

Legal status — source text

Allahabad High Court ordered removal of the posters and characterised the action as an unjustified invasion of privacy without sufficient legal basis

Attribution

political responsibility of the Yogi government; violence by protesters not attributed to him

Following the death of a young Dalit woman who had been assaulted in Hathras, police cremated her body at night despite her family's claim that they had not consented. Access to the village and media coverage was also severely restricted, provoking nationwide outrage.

State of the evidence

hasty cremation, restrictions and suo motu proceedings documented

Legal status — source text

Allahabad High Court took up the case of its own motion concerning dignity and fundamental rights; separate CBI investigation into the crime

Attribution

institutional responsibility of the government and police; no personal order by Yogi to carry out the cremation established

The Yogi government renamed Allahabad as Prayagraj and Faizabad district and division as Ayodhya, as part of a series of name changes widely interpreted as reaffirming Hindu references.

State of the evidence

cabinet decisions documented

Legal status — source text

no personal criminal proceedings

Attribution

direct political responsibility

Shortly after Yogi came to power, 'anti-Romeo' police squads were deployed near schools and in public spaces to combat harassment of women. Videos and testimonies soon showed couples or young men being humiliated or questioned without clear justification.

State of the evidence

deployment, harassment incidents and corrective guidelines documented

Legal status — source text

no personal judicial proceedings

Attribution

direct political responsibility as promoter of the measure