Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday (November 21, 2025) alleged that the ongoing demolition in Varanasi’s Dal Mandi area is a “political demolition” initiated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to weaken opponents, and demanded that the exercise be stopped immediately.
“The BJP government has created a crisis for the traders of Varanasi Dal Mandi. Demolishing the shops of traders is injustice with them. This is not a plan to save history or to save heritage; such demolition is political. The BJP has lost the election from that market, that is why it is harassing the traders. The BJP is adopting the policy of divide and rule to fulfill its political plan,” said Mr. Yadav, addressing the media in Lucknow.
Mr. Yadav, who met the aggrieved traders of Varanasi’s Dal Mandi at the Samajwadi State Office in Lucknow, said that the political demolition of Varanasi Dal Mandi should be stopped.
“Many countries in the world which have developed and provided facilities while preserving their historical things and heritage, which has benefited the business from the tourists who come to them. We demand the protection and respect the traders and businessmen of the dal market,” he added.
