Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav today claimed that he was stopped from boarding a flight to Prayagraj where he was to attend the oath-taking ceremony of a student leader. Taking to Twitter, Akhilesh said authorities stopped him from boarding a flight to Prayagraj (Allahabad) at the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow on Tuesday. The Samajwadi Party president was flying to Prayagraj where he was scheduled to attend the oath ceremony of newly elected office-bearers of Allahabad University Students’ Union.
“I was stopped at the airport without any order in writing. The officer failed to even clear the situation. This is merely a motive to prevent the students from going to the programme is to stifle socialist ideas and voices among the youth,” Akhilesh said on his official Twitter handle.
I was prevented from boarding the airplane without any written orders. Currently detained at Lucknow airport.
Also ReadIt 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 added, “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 oath ceremony of a student leader. The BJP knows that youth of the country will not tolerate this injustice anymore.”
The matter immediately sparked a political storm in Uttar Pradesh with Samajwadi Party leaders raising the issue in the state Legislature. Akhilesh had also posted photographs on his official Twitter handle in which he was seen talking to police officers inside the airport.
SP leader Ramgopal Yadav said, “I directly blame the CM. Akhilesh had the permission. It was at the directions of the CM that he was stopped. They didn’t even let him reach Allahabad.”
Ramgopal Yadav on Akhilesh Yadav alleges that he was stopped at Lucknow Airport: I directly blame the CM. Akhilesh had the permission. It was at the directions of the CM that he was stopped. They didn’t even let him reach Allahabad. pic.twitter.com/SbGPxfyht1
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 12, 2019
“The present regime is trying to kill democracy and stop our leader from visiting Allahabad,” SP leader Narendra Verma said. The matter was also raised in the Legislative Council, leading to the adjournment of the House for 25 minutes during the pre-lunch sitting, PTI reported.
Earlier, the registrar of Allahabad University wrote to Yadav’s personal secretary informing him about not allowing political leaders to take part in the event, TV reports said. Post this, the leaders from the AUSU had invited Yadav outside of the campus, reports say. However, Yadav was stopped at the airport itself.
Post the incident, SP leaders are now protesting in both houses of the assembly. SP MLC Udayveer Yadav told News18 that the move shows how frustrated the UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Modi are and that the centre is afraid of the opposition parties and that they “might expose their corruption.”