Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has alleged large scale land manipulation under the garb of the Vrindavan corridor project, claiming that the BJP government is exploiting the sacred town’s heritage for real estate interests.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lucknow, the former Chief Minister said that the ancient lanes of Vrindavan, associated with Krishna lore, are being targeted under the pretext of redevelopment.
“People come to Vrindavan to walk through the sacred ‘Kunj Galis’ that echo with thousands of devotional songs. The government is displacing lakhs to benefit a few,” Akhilesh said.
He added that BJP's idea of development lacks respect for religious and cultural heritage. "If wider corridors alone could manage crowds, why did stampedes occur in open spaces like the Kumbh?"
Yadav accused the BJP of repeating the pattern seen in Ayodhya and Varanasi, where, he alleged, land scams and demolition of heritage structures took place during redevelopment. He promised that all land-related disputes and compensations would be investigated if the SP returned to power.
Questioning the current government’s priorities, Akhilesh asked why Rs 1,000 crore was spent on Kanwar Yatra arrangements but no proper corridor was built. “We will construct a dedicated Kanwar corridor under a future SP government,” he said.
He also flagged alleged illegal occupations of properties owned by religious trusts under the present administration. SP leaders Rajendra Chaudhary, former MPs Veerpal Yadav and Rukmini Devi (sister of late MP Phoolan Devi) were also present.
