Yogi-Akhilesh face-off: Defiant SP chief garlands Jai Prakash Narayan statue

Heavy security was deployed outside the Samajwadi Party headquarters and Akhilesh Yadav’s residence in Lucknow as he announced plans to visit the Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre to pay tribute to the socialist leader on his birth anniversary. Authorities restricted his entry by erecting steel sheets, prompting Akhilesh to challenge the BJP government’s motives.