Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) Akhilesh Yadav asked Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to sever ties with the BJP after he was denied permission to garland the statue of socialist ideologue Jai Prakash Narayan at the JPNIC (Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre) here by the authorities, who cited presence of 'insects' at the under construction site, among other things as security threat to the SP leader to refuse permission.
Hundreds of SP workers took to the streets in different parts of the state in protest against denial of permission to Akhilesh, who decried the state government saying that it had a ''negative mentality'' and garlanded JP's statue outside his residence here on Friday.
''BJP and its government is not allowing the socialists to pay respect to JP.....Nitish Kumar, who is a product of the JP movement, should walk out of the NDA government,'' Akhilesh told reporters here.
He also claimed that the state government wanted to 'sell' the JPNIC to the people 'close' to the BJP.
''Why does the government not want us to pay respect to JP....we are forced to pay respect to JP on the road.....this government is stopping every good work,'' the SP president added. ''Everyone who believes in socialist ideology must quit this government,'' he said.
SP workers staged demonstrations in Lucknow, Etawah and some other places in protest against refusal of permission to Akhilesh. Senior SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav was prevented from proceeding to Etawah to take part in an SP protest demonstration.
Akhilesh had sought permission from the authorities to visit the JPNIC on Friday to pay respect to JP on the occasion of his birth anniversary. The authorities however denied him permission citing security threat from 'inspects' at the under construction site among other things.
BJP, however, slammed Akhilesh over his remarks saying that he should first imbibe the ideals of JP before trying to portray himself as his (JP) disciple.
JD (U) leader Rajiv Ranjan also reportedly said that Akhilesh should have shown 'patience' if he wanted to pay his respect to JP. ''When Akhilesh does not bother to follow JP's ideals then what's the use of paying respect to him?'' he said.
Last year also, Akhilesh was not allowed to go to JPNIC and then he climbed up the gate at the site and garlanded JP's statue.