Mayawati can ask BJP Govt to pull down the bridge: Akhilesh

Lucknow, Jan 9 (IANS) After Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati alleged a security threat due to the presence of a bridge near her party’s state unit office on Mall Avenue in Lucknow, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav asked her to get the government to bulldoze the bridge.

The bridge was built during Yadav’s tenure as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. “If she has a security threat, then she should write a letter to the BJP Government,” Akhilesh told reporters on the sidelines of a party event.

Justifying construction of the bridge, he said, “The bridge was built to rid the area of traffic snarls and ensure the smooth flow of vehicles for the convenience of people.”

To another question, Akhilesh said that there was never any discussion about bringing the BSP into the INDIA bloc.

“Had there ever been any such discussion, then I would have known it,” he said.

Without taking names, Akhilesh hinted that the BJP was trying to weaken the bloc in many ways.

Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s forthcoming ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, Akhilesh said: “The yatra is not for the alliance. It is merely a Congress yatra. Had seat-sharing been decided before the yatra, then all alliance partners, too, would have participated in it.”