News Brief
Akhilesh Yadav Hits Out At BJP After Being Stopped From Visiting JP Narayan International Centre In Lucknow—What You Need To Know
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in front of a bust of Jayaprakash Narayan
The Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, which houses a museum dedicated to the memory of the iconic socialist leader, has become the centre of a political clash between Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
On Thursday (10 October) night, entrances to the JPNIC were barricaded with tin sheets, prompting a sharp reaction from the Samajwadi Party.
These barricades were reinforced Friday morning by scores of police officers.
This comes ahead of Yadav's plans to garland a JP Narayan statue – inside the JPNIC – on his birth anniversary.
Akhilesh Yadav shared videos of police barricades outside his home, accusing the BJP of obstructing his plans.
"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 Jayaprakash Narayanji on his birth anniversary, like the last time, barricades have been put up around our private residence...," he said.
In response, Alok Awasthi, spokesperson for the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit, hit back, stating the party respects all great leaders and called Jayaprakash Narayan a "symbol of simplicity."
"Mr Akhilesh Yadav, do you have even one quality of Jai Prakash Narayan? You enjoy a luxurious life. During your reign, anarchy, hooliganism, misgovernance, rioters and corrupt people prevailed," he said.
"Your conduct has been contrary to the thoughts of Jayaprakashji and Lohiaji," the BJP leader added.
Unable to visit the JPNIC, Akhilesh Yadav garlanded a bust of JP Narayan mounted on a vehicle at his residence instead.
Yadav called on Nitish Kumar – who was an active member of JP Narayan's movement in the 1970s – to snap ties with the BJP over the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre incident.
The controversy erupted late Thursday when Yadav was denied permission to visit the JPNIC, citing "construction work and possibility of many insects due to rain".
Yadav lashed out at the BJP while standing in front of the tin barricades.
"What does the government want to hide by blocking the gate with tin sheets? A museum was built here... we want to pay tribute to a great man... a socialist thinker. Why is the government doing this?"
"This government is scared," he replied, "... but can his (JP Narayan's) ideology be stopped?"
Yadav inaugurated the JPNIC in 2016 during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, but construction stalled after the BJP’s victory in 2017.
The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) is currently responsible for its maintenance.
Yadav's request to visit the JPNIC was turned down by the LDA on Tuesday, citing safety concerns due to ongoing construction and insect risks after the rain. Lucknow Police also denied him permission.
In a letter on Thursday, the LDA highlighted Yadav's Z+ security status, stating that it is "not safe and appropriate for him to garland the statue and visit JPNIC... due to security reasons".
