Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on October 11 targeted the ruling BJP for allegedly denying access to the Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre here to pay his respects to socialist leader Jai Prakash Narayan on the latter’s birth anniversary.
The event witnessed unprecedented scenes with Mr. Yadav climbing over the 10-feet high locked gate at the convention centre to garland the statue after SP workers unwrapped it from a tarpaulin sheet.
“History does not forgive those who do not respect history. Now, will we have to call for ‘complete revolution’ like Jai Prakash Narayan ji even for garlanding? If this is acceptable to BJP then it is okay,” Mr. Yadav said.
‘Insult to freedom fighter’
“The entire country and state should see what damage the BJP government has done to the statue and museum of Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan ji. This is an insult to a freedom fighter as well as a socialist thinker. How can the BJP, which did not participate in the freedom struggle, know the value of the struggle for freedom,” wrote Mr. Yadav on X, along with a photograph of the statue wrapped in tarpaulin sheet.
The SP further alleged that the autocratic tendencies of the ruling party had come to the fore on the socialist stalwart’s birth anniversary with the party chief countering it like a “true socialist”. “What we witnessed today is a grim reminder of the autocratic tendencies against which JP fought all his life. The BJP which jumped on the JP movement bandwagon to make a mark in the Hindi heartland, not only forgot the socialist icon, but even tried to prevent a true socialist like Akhilesh Yadav ji from paying his respects. ,” said Ameeque Jamei, SP national spokesperson, who accompanied Mr. Yadav inside the venue.
BJP counters SP
The BJP hit back at the SP chief for betraying the ideas for which Narayan stood all his life indicating that the SP joined the the Congress party under the newly formed India National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc.
“What Mr. Yadav did today was undignified for a former CM. He is betraying the ideas of JP by allying with the same Congress which imprisoned the socialist leader and against whose dictatorship JP led a people’s movement to restore democracy,” said Rakesh Tripathi, U.P. BJP spokesperson.
