Akhilesh Yadav vs BJP In Lucknow: 'Samajwadis' Protest Over Tin Sheets' Barricade At JP Narayan Museum

In Lucknow, a standoff occurred between the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the ruling BJP after SP chief Akhilesh Yadav was prevented from garlanding Jayaprakash Narayan bust at JPNIC.

A massive showdown erupted in Lucknow between the Samajwadi Party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday after SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav garlanded a bust of Jayaprakash Narayan outside his residence where hundreds of party workers had gathered since morning following advice from authorities to not visit the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre's (JPNIC) due to security concerns.

Protest erupted in Lucknow after Yadav visited JPNIC on Thursday night and was barred from entering the premises as its main gate was covered behind tin sheets. He lambasted the Yogi Adityanath government and alleged the BJP government installed tin sheets to prevent him from paying tributes to socialist stalwart and anti-Emergency movement icon Jayaprakash Narayan on his birth anniversary today.

What's Happening In Lucknow?

On Friday morning, a bust of Narayan, mounted on a vehicle, was garlanded by Yadav on the road packed with SP workers, several of them donning red caps and raising slogans and party flags. Yadav was accompanied by SP leaders Lal Bihari Yadav and Rajendra Chouadhary, and Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey, among others.

SP workers also assembled outside Yadav's residence ambiguity remained over the SP chief's scheduled visit to the JPNIC.

The Samajwadi chief slammed the BJP government in the state for putting up barricades near his house on Vikramaditya Marg here to prevent 'Samajwadis' from visiting the site and garlanding JP Narayan's statue on his birth anniversary. 

"On the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan ji, we go to the JPNIC museum every time to celebrate. But I don't know why this government stops us from doing it," he said. Last year also, Yadav had to climb over the gate of JPNIC in Gomti Nagar to garland a statue of Jai Prakash Narayan located on the premises.

"This blockade by the BJP is not being done for the first time, it has blocked all good work. However, today, standing on the road, we are paying tribute to the 'Jan-Nayak'. This government wants to stop us from garlanding but we have done it here on the road itself," he told the gathering.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that the memorial at JPNIC is under covers because of a "conspiracy to sell it". "Imagine, there is a government which wants to sell a museum," he said.

UP Authorities' 'Advice' To Akhilesh Yadav

Earlier, the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) told Yadav that his planned visit to the Centre was "not advisable" as it cited security concerns due to the ongoing construction work at the site.

In a letter referencing their correspondence dated October 8, the LDA noted that Yadav, a former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh who is accorded Z-plus security, intended to pay homage to the statue located at the convention centre. 

"It is to be informed that the Engineering Department, Lucknow Development Authority has provided a report regarding the updated status of the work site, in which the JP Narayan Convention Centre project is still under construction. The construction material is kept in an unplanned manner and due to the rainy season there is a possibility of the presence of unwanted living creatures. The site has not been found suitable for garlanding/visiting from the security point of view of Akhilesh Yadav, former chief minister, who has Z-Plus security," the LDA said in its letter dated October 10.

Samajwadi Chief's Allegations

Yadav took to social media and shared video clips and pictures of the deployment of security personnel, including police and rapid action force, with barricades near his house here, a stone's throw away from the Samajwadi Party headquarters.

"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 JP Narayan Ji on his birth anniversary like last time, barricades have been put up around our private residence to stop them," he posted on X in Hindi.

The SP chief also accused the BJP of creating hurdles in the path of harmony, peace, reservation, farmers' welfare, women's safety, youth development, employment generation, and development of PDAs (pichhde, Dalit, alpsankhyak).

"The BJP has always been against freedom fighters and the freedom movement. They have learnt from the colonial powers and supported them secretly. Everyone is saying today that they don't want the BJP," Yadav said.

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav also hit out at the state government over the issue.

"The BJP, intoxicated with power, wants to barricade democracy. The system of power can never prevail over the system of the people. Government, learn a lesson from the past! Dictatorship does not last long in a democracy," he posted on X along with videos of security deployment.