Lucknow, July 5 -- Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav strongly criticised the decision to hand over the Jayaprakash Narayan International Centre (JPNIC) to the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA), calling it an insult to the legacy of the socialist icon Jayaprakash Narayan.

Akhilesh expressed deep disappointment over the decision and recalled his connection to the centre. "We and Chaudhary sahab are particularly sad because we were founder members of JPNIC Society," he said.

Akhilesh also shared a memory of visiting the centre when it was lying unused. "It was kept closed for so many years, once I went for an interview, and the guard was suspended. I had kept a water bottle in my pocket, so BJP told me that we have kept the bottle," h...