Yogi Adityanath barred from entering Allahabad by district administration

Allahabad: Controversial BJP MP Yogi Adityanath has been barred by local administration from entering the district where he was invited to a function organised by the Allahabad University Students' Union on Friday.

District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar and Senior Superintendent of Police K S Immanuel said Aditynath has been "advised" against entering the district and may face "legal action" if he does not comply. They said the Students' Union has not taken permission for the event and the university has been asked not to allow it.

The development came as a row erupted over extending of invitation to the firebrand Gorakhpur MP by the Students' Union.

"The Union did not obtain necessary permission from the administration before organising its programme," the DM and the SSP said at a press conference late last night.

"However, we have taken note of the developments and directed the University authorities and the Union leaders to refrain from holding any unauthorised event."

"Moreover, the honourable Member of Parliament (Yogi Adityanath) has also been informed about the district administration's decision."

"He has been advised against entering the district. If he does so, legal action may follow," the officials said, adding that adequate deployment of forces has been done along the borders of the district as a preventive measure.

Meanwhile, the Students' Union's president Richa Singh, who has been opposed to the visit of the BJP MP, began a hunger strike last night demanding that the varsity cancel the programme.

She is miffed at her name being printed, alongside those of other office-bearers, on posters put up by BJP's students' wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Singh, who became the first woman to be elected to the president's post after Independence earlier this year, had fought the elections as an independent candidate and emerged victorious owing to the support she received from Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha, which decided to back her after its official candidate's nomination papers were rejected during scrutiny. Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha is the students' wing of Samajwadi Party, which is in power in Uttar Pradesh.

The invitation extended to the Gorakhpur MP by ABVP, which had bagged all the important posts in elections except that of the president has been questioned by various student outfits. University authorities have suspended classes for the day in view of the prevailing situation on the campus.