SP chief Akhilesh Yadav says his party is willing to buy Lucknow's Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said his party is willing to buy Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) in Lucknow as the party has an ideological and emotional connection with it.

The uncompleted JPNIC has been a flash point between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party. During the birth or death anniversary celebrations of Jayaprakash Narayan every year, Yadav attempts to garland the bust of the socialist ideologue on the JPNIC premises. Last year, the state government barricaded the centre, and Yadav jumped over the locked fences. This year, the government threw a security blanket around the SP chief's home to stop him from reaching the centre.

The state government’s logic is that the centre is an under-construction site and hence dangerous, especially for a leader of Yadav's stature who enjoys heavy security. However, for the last eight years, there has been hardly any construction at the site.

Addressing the media at the party office in Lucknow on Tuesday, Yadav said he would appeal to SP workers from all over the world to donate money to buy the centre.

This was clothed in a larger jibe that the government was selling off public properties to private entities of its choice under secret deals.

Yadav said whatever price had been decided in these 'gupchup' (hush hush) deals, his party would match that price for the centre.

He further said the kind of museum developed in the centre, meant for multiple purposes, is unlike any other in the country. It is a homage to the socialist leader's thoughts, influences and journey.

He said the emotional connection stemmed from the fact that when the foundation stone for the centre was laid, Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and George Fernandes were among those present.

Yadav's other jibe was reserved for the government's claims about making defence equipment, including missiles, in the state. He said if the government had been able to do so, it would not have had to ask Russia for help. He also said the government was not capable of even putting together a crude bomb, let alone more sophisticated defence paraphernalia. 

India