Ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections, posters inspired by the Bollywood film Dhurandar, targeting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, were put up in parts of Lucknow and Amethi.
The posters, which were put up outside Amethi railway station and at various junctions, bore the slogan “Aap ko kya chahiye? Akhilesh ka Lyari raj”, news agency PTI reported.
The reference to “Lyari” refers to a local area in Karachi, Pakistan, formerly known for gang violence, which is also mentioned in the film. The messages appear to be aimed at drawing a comparison between those photos and the Samajwadi Party leader’s tenure.
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Similar hoardings were also reported from multiple locations in Lucknow on Tuesday.
The billboards were reportedly put up by a group calling itself “Youth Against the Mafia.” The posters combine alleged incidents of violence and riots during Yadav’s tenure as chief minister and the current government’s crackdown on mafia and criminals under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Names and photographs of the organisation’s officials, including its CEO, General Secretary and Pratapgarh in-charge, are displayed on the posters.
Samajwadi Party responds
The Samajwadi Party strongly criticized the move, terming it politically motivated. The party’s spokesman in Amethi, advocate Rajesh Mishra, said the posters reflected the “frustration and despair” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
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Such tactics were used because the BJP realized that it would not return to power, he alleged, adding that the public was aware of such “attempts at misinformation”.
Local authorities have taken note of the development. Information about the posters has been received and a team has been sent to the spots, Amethi police station in-charge Ravi Singh said.
(with PTI inputs)
