JPNIC not Akhilesh Yadav's private property, it belongs to public: UP Deputy CM

Lucknow, Jul 5 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Saturday hit out at Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav over his statement on Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) in Lucknow, saying that it is a public property and not Yadav's personal asset.

Earlier in the day, Yadav had accused the BJP of a well-planned strategy to first end the JPNIC society through a cabinet decision and then prepare to sell it.

In an official statement, Pathak said, "You (Yadav) had made it a den of corruption, whereas it was a centre built with the hard-earned money of the public ... Akhilesh Yadav considers the people of Uttar Pradesh to have a short memory, but the people are now aware and will not be misled." "Our government passed a proposal from the cabinet and handed it over to the Lucknow Development Authority, so that this property is used in the service of the common people. It was not your personal property," he added.

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet had on Thursday approved the proposal to dissolve the society formed for the Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre project. The decision also said that its reins would be handed over to the Lucknow Development Authority.

Pathak alleged that the Samajwadi Party government from 2012 to 2017 institutionally promoted corruption, nepotism, mining scams and misuse of government resources.

"During that tenure, nepotism and criminals were prevalent everywhere, to which the public has responded by ousting them from power twice," the deputy chief minister said.

Regarding the Gomti River Front, Pathak said that this project was worth a few hundred crores, but thousands of crores were spent.

"There was open loot of public money. This project is an example of Samajwadi Party's financial irregularities and loot in the name of beautification," he said.

He also termed Yadav's questioning of the impartiality of the Election Commission as "serious and irresponsible".

Pathak said that under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath, the state is progressing in every field and under the leadership of Modi ji, the country is moving towards a new height. PTI CDN RUK RUK