Lucknow: Akhilesh Yadav Jumps Over Wall To Pay Floral Tribute To Jayprakash Narayan After Being Denied Permission

A dramatic incident unfolded in Lucknow on Wednesday (11 October) when Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav was denied permission to enter the Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) to pay floral tribute to freedom fighter and anti-Emergency campaigner Jayaprakash Narayan on his birth anniversary.

Security reasons were cited by officials for denying entry to the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Indian Express reported. The JPNIC, a project initiated by former CM Mulayam Singh Yadav, is located on a three-acre plot opposite the Regional Passport Office in Gomti Nagar.

Following the denial of permission, Akhilesh Yadav, along with other SP leaders and workers, was observed jumping the centre’s boundary wall to reach the building. Chaos ensued as police attempted to prevent SP workers and leaders from entering the premises, using mild force to disperse the crowd.

The JPNIC, inaugurated by Yadav in 2016 during his tenure as CM, faced scrutiny in 2017 after the BJP came to power. CM Yogi Adityanath’s office received a recommendation for a "special audit" of the funds spent on building the JPNIC and two other projects overseen by Yadav during his tenure as the head of the housing department.

Yadav, after offering floral tribute at the statue of Jayaprakash Narayan at the centre, expressed disappointment that police were deployed to prevent him from entering.

He emphasised the significance of the museum built for the socialist leader and accused the current government of stifling the voice of the people by closing down the museum and the building. He called on people to fight against the current government, invoking the ideals of total revolution advocated by Jayaprakash Narayan.