In New Delhi on November 30, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav blasted the Uttar Pradesh government’s plan to turn Lucknow’s Janeshwar Mishra Park—Asia’s largest urban park—into a venue for big‑scale private weddings and events starting in January 2026.
Yadav’s rebuke followed a promotional flyer for the proposed “Janeshwar Greens” venue, which showcases huge lawns, a capacity for tens of thousands of guests, and dedicated parking on the park’s grounds.
According to the flyer, the commercial area would span almost 300,000 square feet of lawns, accommodate up to 10,000 guests and provide parking for roughly 3,000 cars.
He warned that such extensive commercial activity would strip the park of its green character, turning public space into post‑event litter, noise, garbage and pollution. Yadav called it an attempt to convert a vital ecological asset into a revenue‑producing property.
The SP leader, who inaugurated Janeshwar Mishra Park in 2014 during his tenure as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, said the move was only the beginning of the BJP government’s greed‑driven encroachment on public spaces.
“If this commercialisation goes unchecked, it could set a precedent that allows similar takeovers of neighborhood parks across Lucknow and the state,” Yadav added.
In a strongly worded X post aimed at residents of Uttar Pradesh, Yadav urged a collective, non‑political resistance to safeguard the city’s green lungs.
His post read: “Dear Lucknow residents and UP migrants, Beware! The BJP government should keep Lucknow’s ‘Green-Heart’ Janeshwar Mishra Park away from its investments out of greed for money. The citizens of Lucknow have full right to clean air and greenery. We all should come together to oppose this like a citizens’ movement strongly; if we do this alone, the BJP government will declare it a political movement and twist things in its favour.”
He continued, “Therefore, we appeal to every Lucknow resident, every environmental lover‑activist, every elderly person who makes good use of parks, every family member, and every health and fitness‑conscious young man and young woman to step forward and save Lucknow’s greenery.”
Yadav also warned of what he sees as a broader trend: “In fact, this is just the beginning of the greed of the BJP and their associates; today one park is falling victim to it, tomorrow BJP contractors will take over every neighborhood‑colony park in Lucknow and UP. Locals will get nothing but the stench of garbage, filth, and leftovers accumulated after these events. If we don’t wake up in time, breathing for Lucknow residents will become difficult.”
“Warning: BJP should not turn the park into parking! If BJP goes, we can breathe!” he added.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s response to Yadav’s allegations is being awaited.
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