GORAKHPUR, April 22 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday hit out at the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, accusing them of having a "history of being anti-women" and denying women their rightful empowerment.

Addressing the gathering under the Nari Shakti Vandan campaign at Baba Gambhir Nath Auditorium, the chief minister said, "Women cannot be deprived of their rights for long; empowerment is not charity but their entitlement."

"Even SP's daughters felt scared," he added, alleging that previous governments had failed to ensure women's safety.

Adityanath said there was an urgent need to provide women with real rights and opportunities, asserting that both the SP and the Congress had neglected this responsibility during th...