Lucknow: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, accusing them of neglecting pilgrims, mismanaging development projects, and using faith as a “tool for political gain”.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Lucknow, Akhilesh promised that if his party returns to power, it will construct a dedicated corridor for ‘kanwariyas’ (Shiva devo-tees) that ensures smooth passage without disrupting businesses or road traffic.
“Eleven years at the Centre and nine years in Uttar Pradesh—what has the BJP done for kanwariyas in all this time?” he asked. “They built a road to the Chief Minister’s house at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore that’s barely motorable. Couldn’t they have built a proper Rs 1,000-crore cor-ridor for the pilgrims?”
Yadav said the proposed corridor under a future SP government would respect the religious sentiments of kanwariyas while also maintaining public order and ensuring that traders and pe-destrians are not inconvenienced.
The SP leader also slammed the state government over issues of land acquisition and alleged forced evictions in the name of development.
“Under the garb of corridor construction, the BJP is destroying heritage—narrow lanes are being erased, and cultural identities are being wiped out,” he said.