New Delhi: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed he was stopped by authorities at Lucknow airport in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad, triggering outrage by party lawmakers in the state legislature and workers outside the airport.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said he was to fly to Allahabad from Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport to attend an event at Allahabad University.
“The government is afraid of oath-taking ceremony of a student leader and is stopping me at the airport to prevent me from visiting Allahabad,” Yadav claimed on Twitter.
I was prevented from boarding the airplane without any written orders. Currently detained at Lucknow airport.
It is clear how frightened the govt is by the oath ceremony of a student leader. The BJP knows that youth of our great country will not tolerate this injustice anymore! pic.twitter.com/xtnpNWtQRd
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) February 12, 2019
He posted photographs in which he was seen talking to police officers inside the airport.
But the airport director A.K. Sharma said, “I have no such information.”
“I was stopped from boarding a flight to Allahabad to attend a students’ union programme. I haven’t been given a reason why but it seems the general impression was that I would create a law and order problem. [The] chief minister has given a statement to this effect, but they are using this as a cover to hide their nervousness because our youth have had enough,” Yadav said in a written statement uploaded on Twitter.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath later told reporters that Yadav’s visit could have triggered violence between rival student groups at the Allahabad University. “The Allahabad University had urged the government to stop his visit and the government acted,” he said.
However, describing chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s comments that his Allahabad visit could have triggered violence as “a cover to hide nervousness”, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav Tuesday said that stopping him shows how “scared” the government is.
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“If there was a genuine problem, the police would have objected, or asked for a change in my schedule. I understand the need to ensure the safety of people and property and would never do something to endanger either knowingly,” he added.
Yadav added the BJP has lost Uttar Pradesh, “but more than an election, they have lost the faith that the youth of this country reposed in them”.
The former UP chief minister also said the BJP has betrayed the aspirations and hopes of crores of young people in their “blind pursuit” of creating a monochrome India.
Samajwadi Party leader Indrajeet Saroj, who accompanied Yadav at the airport, said, “We have been stopped on oral orders. We are asking (airport authorities) to give in writing. Akhileshji had to attend several programmes in Allahabad. The administration did not follow the protocol meant for a former chief minister.”
Matter raised during assembly Question Hour, House adjourned
The issue has rocked the Uttar Pradesh legislature. As soon as Samajwadi Party members came to know about their national president being stopped at the airport, they raised the matter during Question Hour in the assembly.
“The present regime is trying to kill democracy and stop our leader from visiting Allahabad,” SP leader Narendra Verma said.
The members also trooped into the Well, prompting speaker Hriday Narain Dixit to adjourn proceedings for 20 minutes. It was later extended for the entire Question Hour.
When the House reassembled, agitated SP members again rushed to the Well and sat on a dharna, shouting slogans against the Yogi Adityanath government.
“Yogi teri tanashahi nahi chalegi (Yogi government’s anarchy will not be tolerated),” they shouted.
BSP leader Lalji Verma also supported the SP members, saying “there is an anarchic government in the state which wants to suppress the voice of opposition.”
Responding to the issue, parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Kumar Khanna said, “I have sought a report on this incident”.
“The SP leader had to attend a programme in Prayagraj. The district magistrate informed him to not visit Prayagraj as it could create law and order problems.”
Khanna said Yadav was informed about it yesterday, a day before his scheduled visit.
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“Law and order is our top priority and we will maintain it at any cost and whatever step is needed for this, we will do… He (Yadav) should abide by law. It is his responsibility. He should not have dishonoured the district magistrate’s orders,” he said.
He further said SP and BSP members “throttled democracy by not allowing the House to function.”
As the matter refused to die, the chair adjourned the House for the day at 12:50 pm. The issue was also raised in the legislative council, leading to the adjournment of the House for 25 minutes during the pre-lunch sitting.
Samajwadi Party members stage protest outside Raj Bhawan
After party legislators staged a noisy protest in the Uttar Pradesh legislature, they proceeded to sit on dharna outside the Raj Bhawan to register their protest against the “undemocratic behaviour” of the BJP government.
They finally relented when governor Ram Naik sent them a message that he would meet their delegation Wednesday.
“We strongly condemn this dictatorial attitude of the Yogi Adityanath government. SP workers will not tolerate such action. Not only us, people of the state will give a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha elections,” SP MLC Rajpal Kashyap said.
Another SP MLC Sunil Yadav Sajan claimed, “We had to reach here as the governor is oblivious to the jungle raj of Yogi Adityanath government. He should be aware of what is going on in the state and intervene.”
Leaders condemn ‘undemocratic’ and ‘arrogant’ attitude of BJP
Condemning the incident, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday said it happened because of the “arrogant attitude of so-called BJP leaders”.
“I’ve already spoken to @yadavakhilesh. We all condemn the arrogant attitude of the so-called #BJP leaders who didn’t allow Akhilesh to address the students. Even @jigneshmevani80 was not allowed,” Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle.
“Where is the democracy in our country? And they are giving lessons to everybody!” she added.
I’ve already spoken to @yadavakhilesh. We all condemn the arrogant attitude of the so-called #BJP ‘leaders’ who didn’t allow Akhilesh to address the students. Even @jigneshmevani80 was not allowed. Where is the democracy in our country? And they are giving lessons to everybody!
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) February 12, 2019
Amid all this high drama, Yadav issued the following statement:
My statement on the negative and undemocratic politics behind my detention at Lucknow Airport. pic.twitter.com/dP7MvdjOcT
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) February 12, 2019
(With PTI inputs)