Akhilesh Yadav Visits JPNIC at Night, Critiques Government for Blocking Access with Tin Sheets

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav visited the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre on Thursday night. He criticised the Yogi Adityanath administration for blocking its main entrance with tin sheets, seemingly to prevent access. October 11 marks the birth anniversary of socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan.

Yadav had previously scaled the gate of JPNIC in Gomti Nagar to honour a statue of Jai Prakash Narayan. The centre includes a museum dedicated to socialism and features a statue of Jayaprakash Narayan. "This JPNIC, the museum of socialists, statue of Jayaprakash Narayan and there are things inside on how we can understand socialism," Yadav stated to reporters outside the centre.

Political Tensions Surrounding JPNIC

Yadav questioned the government's motives for erecting tin sheds, speculating whether they plan to sell or transfer the property. A video shared online showed Yadav asking a painter to write "Samajwadi Party Zindabad" on the tin sheets. When asked about visiting the centre again, he replied, "We will decide the programme tomorrow. For how long they will keep it barred behind tin sheds."

In a post on X, Yadav criticised the BJP's rule as an ostentatious period of freedom and described the closure as a symbol of their closed mindset. He accused BJP members of harbouring animosity towards freedom fighters like Jayaprakash Narayan, who played significant roles in India's independence movement. "It is the guilt inside the BJP, whose members did not participate in the freedom struggle of the country, which does not allow them to pay tribute to the revolutionaries even on their birth anniversaries. Condemnable!" he remarked.

Samajwadi Party's Response

The Samajwadi Party shared a video on social media showing workers installing tin sheets at JPNIC's main gate and condemned this action. They labelled it as an example of BJP's dirty politics and accused them of attacking democracy. "The useless BJP government is constantly attacking democracy!" read a post on X.

The party further criticised the government for disrespecting great leaders by halting development projects like JPNIC in Lucknow. "This anti-people government has insulted great men by ruining development work like JPNIC built in Lucknow. Socialists will not bow down to these dictators!" they declared.

Traffic Restrictions and Historical Context

Lucknow Police announced traffic restrictions around JPNIC for Friday. The centre was inaugurated by Akhilesh Yadav in 2016 during his tenure as Uttar Pradesh's chief minister. However, construction halted after BJP assumed power in 2017. The building houses several structures, including the Jayaprakash Narayan Interpretation Centre and a museum.