CAUGHT IN THE POLITICAL CROSSFIRE

SEVERAL FLAGSHIP PROJECTS FROM THE SAMAJWADI PARTY ERA, INCLUDING IN YADAV REDOUBT SAIFAI, REMAIN UNFINISHED. FUNDING SHORTAGES AND CORRUPTION PROBES ARE CITED AS REASONS, BUT OPPOSITION IS ANGRY

- ASHISH MISRA

Lok Nayak' Jayaprakash Narayan would probably be turning in his grave. An expensive, under-construction project in the heart of Lucknow, named in his honour, has become a battleground for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP), both of whom hold the socialist icon in great esteem.

On October 11, the birth anniversary of 'JP' saw high drama in the UP capital. Nothing like last year, though, when SP president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav jumped the gate of the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) to garland his statue, causing a stir. To prevent a repeat this year, the administration sealed the gate with tin sheets and implemented tight security there, as well as at Akhilesh's home and the party office on Vikramaditya Marg. But hundreds of SP workers braved the police presence and assembled near his residence in the morning. JP's statue was brought out by the police on an open jeep, converted into a stage, for Akhilesh to pay tribute. He told the gathering, "The BJP is stopping us from entering JPNIC by claiming there are scorpions inside. The truth is, there are many scorpions in its own government."