'There is a Shivling below Chief Minister's residence, that area should be excavated'; Akhilesh Yadav lashes out

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched a sharp critique of the Uttar Pradesh government and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the ongoing excavation activities in Sambhal. In a tongue-in-cheek comment, Yadav claimed there might be a Shivling beneath the Chief Minister's official residence in Lucknow and suggested that the area should be excavated as well.

"I believe there is a Shivling below the Chief Minister's residence. We believe there is a Shivling there. Everyone should be ready for excavation. The media should go first, and then we will also join," Akhilesh Yadav said while speaking to media at the party headquarters.

His remarks come as excavation work in Sambhal has continued for the ninth consecutive day. The digging, originally intended to clear encroachments, uncovered a temple and a well approximately a kilometre from a mosque, sparking increased activity. Following the discovery, officials declared that illegally constructed structures in the vicinity would be demolished.