Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has intervened on behalf of his deputy Brajesh Pathak who is involved in a war of words with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, lending political heft to a social media spat.

“The top leadership of the Samajwadi Party should analyse its social media handles properly and ensure that its language is respectful, controlled and dignified,” Adityanath wrote on X in Hindi at 12.47pm on Monday. “Although expecting ideal behaviour from the SP is pointless, a civilised society can’t tolerate derogatory and disrespectful statements.”

Thirteen minutes after Adityanath's post, Akhilesh wrote on X: “Those who are sitting idle may be in the habit of stretching things. But those who work, move forward.” He seemed to be referring to Pathak's remark on the SP's "DNA" two days ago.

Targeting Pathak, the SP president wrote: “Those who don’t get attention in their own party and who wear the medal of failures in their ministry, talk nonsense and spend their time in sycophancy.”

In a post on Monday, Pathak wrote: "Akhilesh Yadavji... you should understand that by problem in DNA we do not mean any particular person, but the political thinking of your party. Problem in DNA means that the foundation of your party's politics has been based on casteism and appeasement...."