BJP Responds To Akhilesh Yadav's "Shivling Under UP CM Resident" Jibe

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has stirred controversy by claiming a 'shivling' lies beneath the official residence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow. His statement follows tensions over an excavation at a historic step well in Sambhal, where clashes erupted during a court-mandated survey of a Mughal-era mosque.

Yadav criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for conducting excavations to distract from public issues. He suggested that similar digs should occur at the chief minister's residence. He also accused the government of demolishing homes unlawfully, using bulldozers as tools of destruction rather than development.

Excavation Controversy in Sambhal

In Sambhal district, authorities recently began renovating and excavating the ancient "Mrityu Kup" or "well of death" at Kot Purvi. Locals say this well, filled with debris for years, is both a historic site and sacred to devotees seeking salvation through bathing. The structure is near the Shahi Jama Masjid, where violence broke out last month during a court-ordered survey.

The survey was conducted after a petition claimed that a Harihar temple once stood on the mosque's site. Following the unrest, internet services were suspended in the district to prevent further escalation.

BJP's Reaction to Akhilesh Yadav

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi questioned Yadav's objections to the Sambhal excavation. He recalled that in 2013, Yadav used state resources to search for 1,000 tonnes of gold but now opposes digging for a 'Shivling'. Tripathi suggested Yadav's comments about excavating the chief minister's residence stem from this contradiction.

Another BJP spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawala, criticised the Samajwadi Party for allegedly mocking 'Shivling' to gain political advantage. He described their actions as shameless and accused them of pandering to vote banks.