Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 30 (ANI): In the run-up to the Uttar Pradesh elections in 2027, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused the Samajwadi Party of corruption in the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC), reigniting the row.

Addressing the gathering held in Lucknow for the foundation stone laying and inauguration of 12 development projects, Yogi Adityanath accused Akhilesh Yadav and the Samajwadi Party of using JPNIC as their 'private company' by having its party leaders on the committee before it was handed over to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA).

He alleged, 'A project named after Jayaprakash Narayan--a great leader who dedicated his life to saving democracy--was sanctioned for Rs 200 crore, yet Rs 864 crore was spent, and it still remained incomplete. Subsequently, attempts were made to bring it under the control of the Samajwadi Party.'

Slamming the opposition party, Yogi stated that a 'zero-tolerance' policy towards corruption.

'A committee was formed for this purpose, including Akhilesh Yadav, Dimple Yadav, Dharmendra Yadav, and Rajendra Chaudhary. They had effectively turned the JPN Centre into their own private limited company. This 'double-engine' government cannot condone such wrongdoing. Our policy is one of zero tolerance towards dishonesty and corruption. That Rs 864 crore did not belong to the 'Saifai Syndicate'; it was the money of the people of UP. We dissolved the committee, handed the matter over to the LDA, and decided to recover the funds spent from the state exchequer. Now that the treasury has been wrested from their grasp, the SP is spouting baseless nonsense,' he said.

Earlier in July, CM Yogi had levelled allegations of corruption against the Samajwadi Party. Hitting back, Akhilesh had strongly criticised the decision to hand over JPNIC to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), calling it an insult to the legacy of the socialist icon Jayaprakash Narayan.

Meanwhile, Yogi Adityanath also took a dig at Congress, saying, 'No single individual, party, or region can claim sole credit for India's freedom movement.'

He said, 'When the entire nation spoke in one voice and moved in one direction, driven by a shared vision, the British throne began to totter. The First War of Independence in 1857 proved decisive in this regard. The spark ignited by Mangal Pandey at Barrackpore--carried forward by Rani Lakshmibai--was also championed by the brave heroine Avantibai Lodhi. At the young age of just 26, she was shaking the very foundations of British rule during the country's first war of independence. The power of women is second to none.'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for 12 development projects costing Rs 101 crore in Lucknow Cantt. (ANI)