Demolition a political exercise in Varanasi, should be stopped, says Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday, November 21, 2025, demanded an immediate halt to the exercise, claiming that the ongoing demolition in Varanasi’s Dal Mandi area was a “political subversion” initiated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to weaken the opposition.

Speaking to the media in Lucknow, Mr. Yadav said, “The BJP government has created a crisis for the traders in Varanasi Dal Mandi. Demolishing the shops of the traders is injustice against them. This is not a plan to save history or save the heritage; such destruction is political. The BJP lost the election in this market, so it is harassing the traders. The BJP is adopting the divide and rule policy to realize its political plan.”

Meeting the aggrieved traders of Varanasi’s Dal Mandi at Samajwadi State Office in Lucknow, Mr. Yadav said political destruction of Varanasi Dal Mandi must be stopped.

“Many countries of the world have developed and provided opportunities by preserving their historical monuments and heritage, and benefited the business from the tourists coming to them. We demand and respect the protection of the traders and businessmen of the dal market,” he added.

The SP leader added, “A market like Dal Mandi is not built in a day; people have been living and doing business there for a long time. It takes years to build and construct a shop, it does not take even a moment to demolish it. The BJP government wants to demolish the shops. The compensation may include a shop somewhere else, but it cannot include the customer and the market. The BJP is anti-business and businessmen. The BJP people are negative. They are conspiring with the narrow-minded in the name of expansion. mentality.”

Mr. Yadav promised that the injustice and cruelty of the BJP will not last long. “This government has done nothing for nine years. Injustice and oppression have been committed against farmers, youth, traders and the public. Their rights and powers have been usurped. State properties have been sold. But I assure everyone that the BJP will not last long,” he said.