Saffron, it seems, is the new colour of Uttar Pradesh

Yogi Adityanath, the saffron-robed chief minister of the state, is getting his office in the sprawling secretariat annexe building painted saffron.

Scores of painters could be seen working hard and doing extra hours to complete the work in double quick time.

Ever since he took charge, Adityanath has been trying to give government schemes and projects a saffron tint.

The government had recently got state transport buses painted saffron. The chief minister had flagged them off a few days ago.

The school satchels distributed among primary school students were also saffron.

The Opposition parties have taken a strong exception to the exercise of the BJP government to paint the secretariat saffron.

"The secretariat building does not belong to any single party, it is a government building. Painting it in a color that represents a particular party is highly improper and will give birth to a new precedent," said Samajwadi Party leader Ram Govind Chaudhary said here on Tuesday.

BJP, however, does not find anything wrong with it.

"There is no need to look at the painting from a party's perspective... there is no political motive behind it," said a senior BJP leader here.

Although the Opposition has been set off by the exercise, the move is not the first of its kind.

The BSP government under Mayawati, during its regime, had dyed government buildings and transport buses blue — the colour the party is associated with. Even the state information department diary was printed blue.