Shahjahanpur- May 26: The political temperature in Shahjahanpur rose sharply on Tuesday after controversial hoardings targeting former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav surfaced in the Cantonment area, triggering protests by party workers and sharp political reactions.
The hoardings, which appeared at several prominent locations in the Sadar Bazar area, portrayed Mr. Yadav as “anti-woman” and carried slogans accusing the Samajwadi Party of failing to ensure women’s safety during its tenure in Uttar Pradesh. According to local sources, some of the banners had been pasted over posters of State Finance Minister Suresh Khanna.
The hoardings carried photographs of Mr. Yadav wearing the Samajwadi Party’s trademark red cap, while some depicted him in a skullcap, drawing criticism from party functionaries. The banners carried slogans such as “Nari ka apman, satta abhiman” and other remarks seeking to portray the previous Samajwadi Party government as insensitive to issues concerning women’s safety and law and order.
On receiving information, Samajwadi Party workers rushed to the spot and tore down the hoardings, alleging that the act was a calculated attempt to malign the party leadership and vitiate the political atmosphere in the district. The situation remained tense for some time, though no untoward incident was reported.
Reacting to the development, Samajwadi Party district president Tanveer Khan alleged that efforts were being made to disturb the political atmosphere with elections approaching. He demanded that the administration identify those responsible and initiate stringent action against them.
Police officials said an inquiry had been initiated to ascertain who was responsible the hoardings. They added that appropriate action would be taken after the proper
investigation.
The incident has further intensified political sparring in the district, with women’s safety and law and order once again emerging as key issues in Uttar Pradesh’s political discourse.