Amid the uproar over the demolition of a platform meant for a statue of the late Brahmin leader Hari Shankar Tiwari in his native village of Tanda in Gorakhpur district, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on August 4 announced that he would certainly address an event organised around the statue installation ceremony on Monday (August 5).
“I thank you very much for your kind invitation to deliver the keynote address in the seminar on ‘Concept of Development and People’s Leader Pandit Harishankar Tiwari’ organized in connection with the Installation Ceremony of the statue of Late Shri Harishankar Tiwari, a popular MLA and former Cabinet Minister of U.P., at Chillupar, Gorakhpur on his birth anniversary on 5th August,” Mr. Yadav wrote on X.
The event was being regarded as a form of protest against the Uttar Pradesh government’s action. Earlier this week, the Opposition had raised the issue of demolition, termed it “unfortunate” and accused the government of refusing to honour the late leader.
The SP targeted Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for “indulging in caste politics” over the matter. “The way CM Yogi is doing caste politics is very dangerous and dividing the society. CM Yogi has created disappointment and anger among Brahmins, Dalits, Backward [Classes], Muslims and business class with his casteist attitude. Insult of Pandit Harishankar Tiwari in Gorakhpur and atrocities on him and his family, atrocities on all other Brahmins, atrocities on Dalits, Backward [Classes], Muslims — the people of U.P. have been continuously tolerating all this for the last seven years and now this atrocity is unacceptable. In 2027, people will rise against the BJP,” said the SP Media Cell.
Tiwari, a seven-time MLA and a former Minister who died in May 2023, was considered an influential Brahmin leader in the Gorakhpur region with a controversial career spanning three decades in which he faced dozens of criminal cases.
Recently, some villagers submitted a representation to the local SDM, expressing opposition to the installation of the late leader’s statue on public land. Acting on the complaint, the local administration on July 31 demolished the platform set up for the proposed statue.
Published - August 04, 2024 07:35 pm IST
