LUCKNOW, Aug. 12 -- The Samajwadi Party and democracy are two banks of a river, chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in the state assembly on the opening day of the Monsoon session on Monday. Replying to the issue of alleged misbehaviour with the leader of opposition Mata Prasad Prasad in Gorakhpur, the chief minister criticised the Samajwadi Party for doing politics of obstruction. He accused the SP of hiding behind the "facade" of democracy while subjecting traders to atrocities and a 'goonda tax' during its rule. Asserting that no development took place during the Samajwadi Party rule, he said, "During the SP regime, encephalitis claimed the lives of 700-1500 children every year, including hundreds in Mata Prasad Pandey's constituency in Siddharthnagar, yet no action was taken. Health, education, and development have never been your priorities." Recalling the Sambhal incident, the chief minister said his government is carrying out a purification drive in the area to undo the negativity spread by the party. "The SP is still clinging to its old habits, opposing development at every step," he remarked. Accusing SP of being anti-growth, he said the party's politics in Sambhal, Bahraich, and Gorakhpur is rooted in obstruction, not progress. "The BJP and NDA governments are committed to development, but the SP simply cannot tolerate it," he said. Criticising the Samajwadi Party for opposing the Gorakhpur Heritage Corridor, he called its stance "anti-development." He said Gorakhpur traders opposed Pandey's visit because of bitter memories of the SP-era fear and Goonda Tax. "The traders have not forgotten the exploitation they suffered under SP rule. You went there uninvited, trying to obstruct development, and they respectfully opposed you," he said, stressing that people cannot expect either security or development from the SP. "The corridor will link iconic landmarks, including Ghantaghar, the city's oldest market, and the Gita Press. I inspected the site three days before the Leader of Opposition's visit, personally meeting every trader. Long plagued by congestion and illegal encroachments, the market is now seeing road expansion and decongestion works," he said. The CM assured that all affected traders will receive fair compensation, with no one left to bear losses in the name of development....