Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath once again put Samajwadi Party (SP) in the dock while rebutting the party’s claims regarding the state government’s bulldozer action in Lucknow’s Akbar Nagar area recently at the state assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to a query on the second day of the monsoon session, the CM said that while the action in Pant Nagar and Indraprastha Nagar has been postponed, it is evident that many of the land mafia exploiting the poor are affiliated with the SP.
He said a detailed report is being prepared regarding the intentions behind the ‘red markings’ in these areas. “If it is found that these markings were made with a mala fide intent, accountability will be fixed. However, if the markings were created as a precautionary measure to facilitate the Kukrail River rehabilitation project, they serve to alert the public,” he said.
In response to a question from MLA Ravidas Mehrotra of Lucknow, Yogi said, “If you were familiar with Lucknow’s history you would know that the city once featured the confluence of the Gomti and Kukrail rivers. Akbar Nagar developed post 1984 with most of the buildings being illegal. So, defendants in this case could not stand the trial in the High Court or the Supreme Court.”
He said, “We have rehabilitated those wrongfully registered using fraudulent documents. Akbar Nagar is no longer a city but has been transformed into ‘Saumitra Van’, named after Lord Ram’s younger brother, Lakshman, to give Lucknow a new identity.”
The CM said, “The SP MLA from Lucknow should appreciate that, while the people of Lucknow elected you, we are enhancing the city with a night safari. This project will benefit you with government funding. Given this valuable initiative, you should express gratitude to the government.”
He said, “We have put the proceedings for Pant Nagar and Indraprastha Nagar on hold. We have committed to compensating anyone with valid registration documents after we complete the river rejuvenation. Compare Kukrail now to what it used to be, what was once a drain is now a river.”
Yogi said that the nationwide river rejuvenation campaign is underway. “While we often say ‘water is life’, can we truly value life if we destroy it? Consider what has happened to the Gomti River in Lucknow. On the one hand, you revere the Gomti as a mother, but on the other, you’ve allowed it to become a polluted drain. As the MLA of Lucknow, you should commend the government for rehabilitating the river,” he said.
