Akhilesh Yadav ‘stopped’ at airport; an undemocratic step, says Mayawati

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed he was stopped at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad to attend an oath-taking ceremony at the Allahabad University.

“The government is afraid of oath ceremony of a student leader and is stopping me at the airport to prevent me from visiting Allahabad,” he claimed.

He also posted photographs in his official Twitter handle in which he was seen talking to police officers inside the airport.

My statement on the negative and undemocratic politics behind my detention at Lucknow Airport. pic.twitter.com/dP7MvdjOcT

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) February 12, 2019

When asked about the alleged issue, Airport Director A.K. Sharma said, “I have no such information.”

The matter came up at the Uttar Pradesh legislature, with Samajwadi Party members trying to raise 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 party members also trooped into the well of the House and Speaker Hriday Narain Dixit adjourned the proceedings for 20 minutes. The matter was also raised in the Legislative Council, leading to an adjournment of the House for 25 minutes during the pre-lunch sitting.

Extremely condemnable: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati said it was extremely condemnable and asked whether the ruling BJP was afraid of their alliance (SP-BSP) because of which it was “resorting to anti-democratic methods.”

Ms. Mayawati described the episode as “an example of total dictatorship of BJP government“. She said, “This is very unfortunate and this undemocratic step will be fought at all levels. Are the BJP governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh so afraid of the BSP-SP alliance that they are resorting to anti-democratic methods to curb our political activities.”