Lucknow : Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav lambasted Uttar Pradesh government for blocking the main gate of Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC), preventing his entry and said that the BJP have learnt how to block the path by living with the colonial powers and supporting them secretly.
This comes after the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) refused to grant Akhilesh Yadav permission to visit Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) on Friday for the freedom fighter's birth anniversary.
"Whether it is the BJP people or their government, their every action is a symbol of negativity. To prevent the Samajwadi people from garlanding the statue of 'Jai Prakash Narayan Ji' on his birth anniversary like last time, barricades have been put up around our private residence to stop them.," the SP chief posted on X.
"BJP has blocked the way for paying homage, PDA, harmony, peace, Constitution, reservation, farmers, women's respect, youth development, true media, employment, business, pension, Shikshamitras, teacher recruitment, Asha and Anganwadi, 'Yash Bharti', artists, true players, social justice, equality, prosperity, progress, bright future, freedom and of those demanding their rights," he added.
Akhilesh Yadav further accused the BJP of being against freedom fighters and the freedom movement. "The BJP has always been against the freedom fighters and the freedom movement. They have learnt how to block the path by living with the colonial powers and supporting them secretly. Everyone says today, we don't want BJP," he wrote on X.
SP leader Udaiveer Singh alleged that the state government will sell the JPNIC to a private party of their choice. "This incident proves the government's anti-democratic mindset, dictatorial attitude, corruption and negligence...Former CM Akhilesh Yadav had done events here earlier but now the Government says that his visit is not appropriate from a security point of view and that this is an under-construction building. What problem does Yogi Adityanath have if someone garlands the statue of JP?...I think the government is going to sell it off to a private party of their choice," Singh told news agency.
UP Congress chief Ajay Rai attacked the BJP-led UP government saying that they are acting like a "dictator." "The intentions of this government are not good. Similar things were done the last year as well...They demolished Sarva Sewa Sangh in Varanasi and destroyed a good place. Similarly, I think they are trying to demolish that (JPNIC) too and sell it off to a big businessman, and that is why they are doing this...This government is acting like a dictator. Movement of people is being prohibited, garlanding of statues is being prohibited," Rai said.
Meanwhile, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused Akhilesh Yadav of doing politics in the matter adding that the SP has forgotten the ideals of Jai Prakash Narayan.
"Akhilesh Yadav is doing politics. The notice that has been issued makes it very clear that the construction is incomplete. Had Akhilesh Yadav had good intentions, he could have paid tribute to Jai Prakash Narayan even in his office. Today, SP has forgotten the ideals of Jai Prakash Narayan. Had they followed those ideals, they would not have forged an alliance with Congress party," he said.
Bhandari said that after facing defeat in the Haryana elections, the parties of INDIA bloc are resorting to a political stunt.
"After the defeat in Haryana, the entire INDI alliance is resorting to political stunt. They have understood that people of the country want ideals of Jai Prakash Narayan to be taken forward by PM Narendra Modi. Jai Prakash Narayan had an Anti-emergency ideology. But Akhilesh Yadav forgot it and forged an alliance with Congress," he said.
"Akhilesh Yadav knows that he is going to lose in the upcoming by-polls. So, to divert attention from this defeat, he will try to play victim cards one after the other. Arvind Kejriwal is trying the same in Delhi because they lost deposits in Haryana. So, people of UP and the country are asking Akhilesh Yadav that if he believes in the ideals of Jai Prakash Narayan, why did he forge an alliance with emergency party Congress?" the BJP leader added.
In a letter dated October 10, the LDA mentioned that JPNIC is a construction site with haphazardly spread materials and potential insect infestations due to rain. "JPNIC is a construction site where construction material is spread haphazardly, and there is a possibility of many insects due to rain," the LDA said.
The letter also noted that Yadav has Z-plus category security, making it unsafe for him to garland the statue and visit the site. "SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has Z plus category security, due to which it is not safe and appropriate for him to garland the statue and visit JPNIC due to security reasons," it added.