Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of refusing permission to socialists to pay tribute to Jai Prakash Narayan on his birth anniversary. He called on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to withdraw his party’s support from the BJP-led central government over the issue.
This follows the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) denying Yadav permission to visit the Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC), citing safety concerns at the ongoing construction site.
Safety Concerns at JPNIC Cited by LDA
According to the LDA, the JPNIC site is currently under construction with scattered materials, which could pose a hazard. A letter from the LDA stated, “JPNIC is a construction site where construction material is spread haphazardly, and there is a possibility of many insects due to rain.” They also highlighted that Yadav’s Z-plus security makes it unsafe for him to visit the site.
Akhilesh Yadav’s Response and Allegations
In defiance of the denial, Yadav garlanded a statue of Jai Prakash Narayan on a road outside the JPNIC. He alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government is attempting to sell the JPNIC. “They are conspiring to sell this museum and have covered it up,” he claimed.
Yadav further criticized the BJP, stating that the government is trying to prevent socialists from honoring Jai Prakash Narayan. He also questioned the respect shown by BJP leaders towards prominent historical figures.
Yadav called upon Nitish Kumar to take a stand, noting that the Bihar CM himself emerged from Jai Prakash Narayan’s movement. “This is a chance for Nitish Kumar to withdraw support from the government which is not allowing Socialists to pay tribute,” he said.
Responding to Yadav’s allegations, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari accused the SP chief of politicizing the issue. He stated that Yadav could have paid tribute elsewhere if he had genuine intentions and criticized the SP for “forgetting the ideals of Jai Prakash Narayan” by aligning with Congress.
