Akhilesh pays tribute to JP; asks Nitish to leave NDA

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday lashed out at the BJP government, accusing it of preventing socialists from paying tribute to Jayaprakash Narayan (JP). He urged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to leave the BJP alliance, highlighting that Nitish himself emerged from the JP movement.

Speaking to the media outside his residence after paying tribute to JP, Yadav claimed that the government is conspiring to sell the JP National Institute of Communication (JPNIC) to its allies. “Every year, we socialists visit JPNIC to offer our respects to JP. This year, the government barred us, forcing us to stand on the streets to remember him. This government is determined to halt every good effort,” he said.

Yadav reiterated his commitment to honouring JP’s legacy annually, regardless of police presence. “How long will the police stand guard? The moment they leave, we will go back to JPNIC to pay our respects,” he asserted. He further criticised the BJP government as “deaf, dumb and now blind”, accusing it of being anti-progress and hostile to socialist celebrations.

When asked about the government’s decision to restrict him from entering JPNIC due to security concerns, Yadav ridiculed the claim, questioning the government’s priorities. “This government cannot protect the poor from wolves and leopards, yet it pretends to care about our safety. If there was a real threat to us, the government should have escorted us safely,” Yadav remarked.

He provocatively added: “The scorpions (bichu) are not in JPNIC, they are in the government.”