Mayawati Says BJP Afraid of SP-BSP Alliance, Calls Stopping Akhilesh at Lucknow Airport "Anti-democratic"

Lucknow: Hours after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was stopped at Lucknow airport on Tuesday while on his way to Allahabad, BSP supremo Mayawati said it was extremely condemnable and asked whether the ruling BJP was afraid of their alliance because of which it is “resorting to anti-democratic methods”.

Mayawati described the episode as “an example of total dictatorship of BJP government”. “This is very unfortunate and this undemocratic step will be fought at all levels,” she said.

“Is the BJP government at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh so afraid of BSP-SP alliance that it is resorting to anti-democratic methods to curb our political activities,” she asked.

The SP and the BSP recently forged an alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Akhilesh was stopped at Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad to attend an oath-taking ceremony at Allahabad University.

“The government is afraid of oath ceremony of a student leader and is stopping me at the airport to prevent me from visiting Allahabad,” Yadav said.

He also posted photographs on his official Twitter handle in which he was seen talking to police officers inside the airport. The matter has rocked the Uttar Pradesh legislature