Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav's attempt to make a foray into the hospitality business suffered a setback when the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court stayed the construction of his hotel in the "high-security zone" in the state capital.
The court, which took suo motu cognisance of the matter and heard it on Saturday, directed the authorities to explain how permission to build the hotel in the "high-security zone" was granted to Akhilesh Yadav.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was also filed in the court by a local lawyer seeking cancellation of the permission. The court posted the matter for further hearing on September 5.
The court directed the police to provide security to the petitioner after he alleged that pressure was being exerted on him to withdraw the PIL. "I have been receiving telephone calls since the filing of the petition... there is a tremendous pressure on me to withdraw the PIL," he said.
According to sources, Akhilesh planned to build a hotel, in which his wife and SP Lok Sabha member Dimple Yadav is also a partner, on the Vikramaditya Marg, which housed a number of VVIPs, including ministers.
Incidentally, the proposed spot for the hotel was also very close to the government bungalow, which Akhilesh had to vacate following orders from the supreme court recently.
Sources said that Akhilesh had bought the property in 2005 for Rs 35 lakh. Akhilesh had approached the Lucknow Development Authority for approval of the map for the hotel a few days back.
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