Lagatar24 Desk
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday urged Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar to withdraw his party’s support from the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. His demand follows an incident where authorities in Lucknow prevented a “socialist” from garlanding the statue of Jayaprakash Narayan, leading to protests by Samajwadi Party workers.
Nitish Kumar’s JDU is currently a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Akhilesh’s Call for Action
Akhilesh Yadav criticized the situation, stating, “Many socialists are in the government, helping it continue. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who emerged from Jayaprakash Narayan’s movement, now has the chance to withdraw support from a government that doesn’t allow a socialist to pay tribute to JP on his birth anniversary.”
Jayaprakash Narayan, also known as JP, was a Gandhian freedom fighter and led the campaign against Indira Gandhi’s government during the Emergency.
Protest and Allegations
Yadav further said, “We celebrate JP’s birth anniversary, yet this government tried to stop us from garlanding him. We were forced to do it on the road. They are conspiring to sell the JP Narayan Convention Centre, showing disrespect to his legacy. How can we trust this government to protect the Constitution?”
BJP’s Response
Responding to Akhilesh Yadav, BJP leader Shazia Ilmi accused him of playing politics. “If he truly wants to honour JP, he should end alliances with parties that JP opposed during the Emergency. There are other ways to pay tribute respectfully,” she said.
The Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) cited safety concerns at the under-construction JP Narayan Convention Centre, stating it wasn’t suitable for garlanding due to ongoing work. They added that this decision also considered Akhilesh Yadav’s Z-Plus security.
