Ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, posters inspired by the Bollywood film Dhurandhar, targeting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, have been put up across parts of Lucknow and Amethi.
The posters, put up outside the Amethi railway station and at various intersections, carry a slogan "Aap ko kya chahiye? Akhilesh ka Lyari raj," news agency PTI reported.
The reference to “Lyari” points to a locality in Karachi, Pakistan, once known for gang violence, which is also mentioned in the film. The messaging appears aimed at drawing a comparison between that imagery and the Samajwadi Party leader’s tenure.
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Similar hoardings were also reported from multiple locations in Lucknow on Tuesday.
The hoardings have reportedly been put up by a group calling itself “Youth Against Mafia”. The posters juxtapose alleged incidents of violence and riots during Yadav’s time as chief minister with the current government’s crackdown on mafia and criminals under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
{{/usCountry}}The hoardings have reportedly been put up by a group calling itself “Youth Against Mafia”. The posters juxtapose alleged incidents of violence and riots during Yadav’s time as chief minister with the current government’s crackdown on mafia and criminals under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
{{/usCountry}}Names and photographs of the organisation’s office-bearers, including its executive president, general secretary and Pratapgarh in-charge, are displayed on the posters.
Samajwadi Party hits back
The Samajwadi Party has strongly criticised the move, terming it politically motivated. Party spokesperson in Amethi, advocate Rajesh Mishra, said the posters reflected the “frustration and desperation” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government.
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He alleged that such tactics were being used because the BJP had realised it would not return to power, adding that the public was aware of these “attempts to mislead”.
Local authorities have taken note of the development. Amethi police station in-charge Ravi Singh said that information about the posters had been received and a team had been dispatched to the locations.
(With PTI inputs)