Archive · 11 Oct 2026
Pathak and Yadav Clash Over JPNIC Project and Legacy
Akhilesh Yadav visited a centre named after Jayaprakash Narayan to pay tribute to him.
Yadav said the government had not respected freedom fighters and claimed nearby land had been sold.
Brajesh Pathak disagreed with Yadav and called the visit a political show.
Pathak said the centre was leased so it could be operated.
He also said its planned cost grew from Rs 17 crore to Rs 850 crore while Yadav’s party was in government.
Pathak claimed the centre was still unfinished.
He questioned whether public money should have paid for its facilities.
The article reports accusations from both politicians, but does not provide an independent assessment of them.
Akhilesh Yadav paid tribute to Jayaprakash Narayan at the JPNIC on the leader’s birth anniversary.
Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh government of neglecting freedom fighters and said land near the centre had been sold.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak called Yadav’s visit a drama and accused him of using the tribute to mask corruption and dynasty politics.
Pathak said the JPNIC was leased out to support its operation and alleged its projected cost rose from Rs 17 crore to Rs 850 crore under the previous government.
Pathak said the project had been left unfinished and questioned its amenities, including a swimming pool; Yadav’s response to those allegations was not included.
- Who
- Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav
- What
- They exchanged accusations over the JPNIC project, its costs, operation, and the use of Jayaprakash Narayan’s legacy.
- When
- On Jayaprakash Narayan’s birth anniversary; the article identifies the statements as occurring on Sunday.
- Where
- The Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- Yadav criticized the government’s treatment of the centre and nearby land, while Pathak defended leasing it and challenged the previous project’s costs and management.
Akhilesh Yadav’s Claims
Brajesh Pathak’s Claims
Treatment of the centre and its surroundings
Akhilesh Yadav’s Claims
Yadav said the government did not respect freedom fighters and claimed land near the museum had been sold.
Brajesh Pathak’s Claims
Pathak said the centre was leased to ensure it could be operated and that the government was preserving Jayaprakash Narayan’s legacy.
Project cost and completion
Akhilesh Yadav’s Claims
The article reports Yadav’s criticism of the centre and government, but gives no response from him to Pathak’s cost and completion allegations.
Brajesh Pathak’s Claims
Pathak said the projected cost rose from Rs 17 crore to Rs 850 crore under the previous government and that the project remained unfinished.
Political meaning of the tribute
Akhilesh Yadav’s Claims
Yadav said Samajwadi Party members pledged to follow Jayaprakash Narayan’s path and bring change to society.
Brajesh Pathak’s Claims
Pathak called Yadav’s visit a drama and accused him of invoking political icons to conceal alleged corruption and dynasty politics.
- Location
- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
- Centre
- Jai Prakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC)
- Occasion
- Jayaprakash Narayan’s birth anniversary
- Initial project estimate
- Rs 17 crore, according to Pathak
- Cost cited by Pathak
- Rs 850 crore during the previous government’s tenure
- Pathak’s explanation for leasing
- He said the centre was leased out to ensure its better operation.