Akhilesh Yadav claims Shivling' existed under CM Yogi Adityanath's official residence in Lucknow

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday claimed there was a 'Shivling' beneath the official residence of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in Lucknow, and it should be excavated.

Addressing reporters in Lucknow, Yadav said, "There is a Shivling under the Chief Minister's residence in Lucknow. It should also be excavated." His remark came amid heightened political tension over recent archaeological surveys in Uttar Pradesh.

Last week, a 250-foot-deep stepwell, dating back to the era of the 1857 revolt, was unearthed during a survey in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal. The stepwell was found after two bulldozers were involved in excavation at the site in the Laxman Ganj area.

The discovery of the stepwell



came just days after the ruins of an ancient Banke Bihari temple were reportedly found in the same area.

Yadav has repeatedly accused the BJP of exploiting such surveys to distract the public from pressing issues, including unemployment and the agrarian crisis.

"Digging everywhere will not get us to any solution. There is a Places of Worship Act in our country, which prohibits such things," he said last week. He was referring to the law that protects the religious character of places of worship in India.

Criticising the BJP’s governance, the Samajwadi Party chief asserted, "They have been in power in Delhi for 10 years and for seven years in Uttar Pradesh, and unemployment has reached a record level."