Akhilesh Yadav led a march by the Samajwadi Party legislators on Friday yet again against the Yogi Adityanath government in Lucknow, days after a massive showdown with the cops. The party said the protest was held after answers were not given - in the state assembly - on various issues, including women’s safety, inflation and those related to farmers. The monsoon session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly began earlier this week.
A short clip - shared by the SP on Twitter - showed Akhilesh Yadav saying in the assembly: “We have not got any satisfactory answers from this government on various issues, including unemployment. Health facilities are still in shambles. So, the Samajwadi Party is staging a walkout.”
The party “will continue its constant struggle from the assembly to the roads,” the SP later said in a tweet. Friday's march came shortly after Akhilesh Yadav held a meeting with UP governor Anandi Ben Patel over "false allegations being levelled against" SP leader Azam Khan. The former UP CM "sought an end to the harassment of Azam Khan during the meeting", the party underlined in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}The party “will continue its constant struggle from the assembly to the roads,” the SP later said in a tweet. Friday's march came shortly after Akhilesh Yadav held a meeting with UP governor Anandi Ben Patel over "false allegations being levelled against" SP leader Azam Khan. The former UP CM "sought an end to the harassment of Azam Khan during the meeting", the party underlined in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}Akhilesh Yadav, who is the leader of opposition in the state assembly, has been attacking the Yogi Adityanath government ever since the monsoon session started. Earlier this week, as he staged a dharna near party headquarters, he called the BJP "anti-democracy and anti-constitution".
On Friday, the former UP chief minister and SP legislators walked from the UP Vidhan Bhawan (on the Vidhan Sabha Marg) to the party's state headquarters at the Vikramaditya Marg from the same route that they had announced for September 19 march.
A large number of police personnel on duty outside the Vidhan Sabha, in a tizzy, walked along the yatra. Holding placards, the leaders shouted anti-government slogans.