Lucknow/IBNS: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was denied permission to garland a statue of socialist leader and politician Jayaprakash Narayan on his birth anniversary in Lucknow.

Akhilesh was denied permission to garland the statue at Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre in Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.

The entrances were barricaded by tin sheets on Thursday night. A huge battery of cops guarded the tin sheets on Friday morning, preventing the SP chief from reaching the statue in any way.

Slamming the BJP government, Akhilesh wrote on X, "Whether it is the BJP people or their government, their every action is a symbol of negativity. To prevent the Samajwadi people from garlanding the statue of 'Jai Prakash Narayan Ji' on his birth anniversary like last time, barricades have been put up around our private residence to stop them."

Countering Akhilesh, BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit spokesperson Alok Awasthi wrote on X, "Bharatiya Janata Party respects and honours all the great men. Jayaprakash Narayan ji had led a movement against misrule, anarchy, hooliganism and corruption.

"He was a symbol of simplicity. Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, you should have followed even a little bit of the qualities of the great men in whose name you are doing politics. During your reign, anarchy, hooliganism, misgovernance, rioters, and corrupt people prevailed."

The Lucknow Development Authority, which is in charge of the maintenance of the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre, cited safety issues over ongoing construction works and possibility of presence of insects due to heavy rain denying permission to the SP chief to garland the statue.

Akhilesh later garlanded a bust of JP Narayan erected on a car outside at his place.