Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav lashed out at the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government for transferring the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), calling it a disrespect to the legacy of socialist icon Jayaprakash Narayan.
Expressing deep disappointment, Akhilesh said, “This is an insult to the ideals of JP. We and Chaudhary sahab were founder members of the JPNIC Society. The centre was built to inspire future generations through the message of ‘Total Revolution’.”
He recalled visiting the centre while it remained unused for years, sharing an anecdote about being blamed for carrying a water bottle during a visit — a dig at what he described as the BJP’s petty politics.
Attacking the government’s move to hand over the centre to the LDA, he said, “This building was given to LDA — and what does LDA build? Not institutions, but fish markets.”
In a fiery declaration, he vowed to reclaim the centre if needed: “If they are going to sell JPNIC, then we socialist people will buy it.”
Akhilesh also accused the BJP of hypocrisy in Bihar, questioning how a party allegedly undermining Jayaprakash Narayan’s legacy could seek votes in a state where JP remains a revered figure.
During the inauguration of a new SP office in Azamgarh, Akhilesh broadened his attack, alleging that during every Bihar election, the BJP attempts to divert attention by attacking reservation, secularism, and socialism.
“They don’t dare speak directly against reservation because they fear vote loss, so instead, they attack socialism and secularism. The BJP has abandoned the very values it once claimed to uphold.”
Akhilesh’s remarks come amid rising political heat in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with both states poised to play key roles in upcoming electoral battles.
