BJP’s hatred for socialists hampering development: Akhilesh

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said BJP’s deep-rooted hatred for socialist ideology and ideologues is to such an extent that it has ruined development projects named after the country’s socialist icons.“Itni nafrat hai inko (BJP govt) socialist movement se, socialist logon se ki inhone JPNIC ko barbad kar diya (They hate socialist movement and socialist people to the extent that they have ruined JPNIC),” Akhilesh said, referring to the Jayaprakash Narain International Centre, the world-class convention and sports centre in Lucknow launched in 2013.Akhilesh went on to list other projects named after socialist icons that were neglected by govt.He referred to the Ram Manohar Lohia Uttar Pradesh Administration and Management Academy (RUPAAM),which was inaugurated by the chief minister a couple of days ago, saying that it took 11 years for govt to eventually get the project completed and inaugurated merely because it was a brainchild of SP govt.“The JPNIC had a museum on the life and ideology of Jayaprakash Narain, which was possibly the best in the world that showcased any political figure.

But the BJP ruined it,” Akhilesh said, adding that the premises have been lying unattended since BJP formed govt in 2017.“Not only this, the Janeshwar Mishra Park named after socialist leader Janeshwar ji, who was referred to as ‘Chote Lohia’ and is among the largest urban parks in Asia, is being occupied and usurped,” Akhilesh said.He added that the Ram Manohar Lohia Park was less neglected merely because bureaucrats themselves visit it for morning and evening walks.‘BJP, state govt involved in power struggle’Akhilesh Yadav said “a curfew-like situation” prevailed during BJP national president

Nitin Nabin

’s maiden visit to Lucknow as there was a power struggle between the party organisation and BJP govt in the state.“When their (BJP’s) national president visited, it felt as though a curfew wasclamped in Lucknow. There is a serious conflict between the organisation and govt,” he said.

He described Nabin’s visit to the residence of deputy chief ministers Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya as an attempt by the organisation to end groupism.Earlier, Akhilesh took on the visiting BJP national chief for not visiting Ram Temple in Ayodhya.‘Donation theft probe reflects struggle for control’Akhilesh said the Ram temple donation embezzlement was a fit case for a probe by ED and CBI, but state govt chose to constitute SIT instead, and this reflects a struggle for control.The former UP CM said what was happening in the donation embezzlement case was for everyone to see. “Faith of the devotees was being played with. There is a power struggle, and they (Centre and state govts) have no regard for the faith of the people,” he said.Akhilesh said it was a fit case for ED, CBI or Income Tax to investigate, but in that case the probe would have been handled by the Centre.“Before Delhi could take it up, Lucknow moved in. This situation is a result of the power struggle,” Akhilesh said.