Lucknow: Calling Uttar Pradesh Government of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) a dictator that has been defying democratic norms, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday jumped over the locked gate to garland the statue of noted socialist leader Jay Prakash Narayan on his birth anniversary. SP Chief had earlier announced to pay tribute and garland statue of JP at the Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC). However the caretaker of the centre, Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) had locked the gates and denied permission to the SP Chief citing reasons of maintenance and cleaning.
On Wednesday When Akhilesh Yadav reached the centre along with hundreds of party leaders and supporters, he was fuming to see the locked gates. Yadav accused the state government of trying to stop him from garlanding the statue by locking the gate. He said that the UP Government has been adopting undemocratic manners to deal with its opponent but those with Iron Will cannot be stopped. "What was the point of democracy when obstacles were created for even garlanding a statue?", said the SP Chief at the gate of JNPIC.
Akhilesh jumped over the gate and garlanded the statue while hundreds of his supporters staged dharna outside and shouted slogans against the BJP Government.
The Deputy Chief Minister of UP, Brijesh Pathak while reacting on the action of Akhilesh Yadav said that SP is known for hooliganism and there is nothing new in it. He said that jumping over the locked gate is nothing but anarchy. Taking a jibe at SP Chief, Dy CM Pathak said that it would have been better if the former had shown his jumping skills in the recently held Asian games.
