Akhilesh Yadav Slams BJP After Posters Naming Rahul Gandhi, SP Leaders Surface In Lucknow

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) workers tore down posters describing gangster Atiq Ahmed, gangster Mukhtar Ansari, SP leader Azam Khan, party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as "enemies of Sanatan Bharat" in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow. The posters, put up by the Sanatan Raksha Sangathan at several locations, including the 1090 intersection, were pasted over a poster featuring Lord Ram.

Reacting to the incident, Akhilesh Yadav accused the BJP of attempting to conceal the image of Lord Ram and alleged that the party feared public anger over alleged irregularities linked to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Sharing a video purportedly showing the posters being removed, the SP chief wrote on X that the intention behind putting up the posters was not merely to display the message on them but to cover the image of Lord Ram underneath.

Yadav alleged that people were increasingly reminded of the controversy surrounding the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya whenever they saw Lord Ram's image. He claimed that this was contributing to growing public anger against the BJP and its associates.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also referred to the controversy surrounding the Ramcharitmanas in Lucknow, alleging that the BJP had previously used force against those associated with the religious text.

Akhilesh Targets BJP Over Ram Temple

In his post, Yadav alleged that the BJP was worried that devotees angered by the alleged theft of donations and contributions associated with the Ram temple might target the party politically.

He used the phrase "chadhawa-chanda-daan" to refer to offerings, contributions and donations, accusing the BJP of being concerned that public anger could lead to protests against the party.

The remarks come amid a political exchange over the posters, which labelled several opposition leaders and the two deceased gangsters as "enemies of Sanatan Bharat".

The posters were reportedly put up by the Sanatan Raksha Sangathan at multiple locations in Lucknow, including the busy 1090 intersection. SP workers subsequently removed them, with a video of the incident being shared by Yadav on social media.

Published on: Sunday, October 18, 2026, 04:55 PM IST