Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati is paranoid about three things, her security (rather, lack of it), dust and noise and unorganised crowds.
UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has ensured that she will have an overdose of all three in the coming months.
The state government, on Wednesday, started work on a flyover that is barely 50 metres away from the Mall Avenue residence of Ms Mayawati and the BSP is fuming at the project.
Even as bulldozers and heavy duty machinery blocked the approach road to the former chief minister’s residence, the BSP alleged that the project was designed to infiltrate upon the security of Ms Mayawati.
BSP leader Swami Prasada Maurya told this newspaper, “This is a deliberate move to harass the BSP president and we will not allow the government to compromise on her security.”
Mr Maurya said that the flyover, when constructed, will give a clear view of the inside of Ms Mayawati’s residence.
“It will be a major security threat and anyone can look inside by standing on the flyover,” he added.
The government spokesman, on the other hand, said that the flyover was needed to ease the traffic congestion on the Lucknow-Rae Bareli road and the proposed flyover will also go over the railway crossing which was an added benefit.
The BSP contends that the government could have easily broadened the other railway over-bridge, known as “katai pul”, that runs almost parallel to the proposed flyover.
“They want to construct this flyover because they want to harass us. If they are so keen to ease traffic congestion, why don’t they make a flyover on Vikramaditya Marg that has the Samajwadi Party office, Lohia Trust office and the residence of Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav on it,” Mr Maurya emphasised.
The BSP, according to its leaders, is also looking at legal and political options to stall the flyover.
Meanwhile, the construction of the flyover will ensure that Ms Mayawati spends minimum time in Lucknow since she is known to be highly allergic to dust and the construction is going to raise a lot of dust in the coming days.
A senior SP leader quipped, “Finally, we have found a way to keep Mayawati out of Lucknow. She will have to manage the Lok Sabha elections form Delhi because the flyover will take at least two years to get completed.”