📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Indopug
Politics
Akhilesh Yadav Blames BJP for Demolishing Bismillah Khan's Varanasi Home
✍️ The Indian Express
🗓 09 Nov 2026, 11:19 AM
👁 14
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has accused the BJP-led administration of being responsible for the demolition of legendary musician Bismillah Khan's residence in Varanasi, a claim local officials have firmly denied.
Akhilesh Yadav, the chief of the Samajwadi Party, has launched a sharp political attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regarding the recent demolition of the house belonging to the legendary shehnai maestro, Bismillah Khan, in Varanasi. The opposition leader alleged that the BJP-led government was directly responsible for the incident, framing it as an act of disrespect towards a national cultural icon.
In response to these allegations, local officials have categorically denied any involvement or role in the demolition. They stated that the action was not carried out by their department and rejected the political narrative being spun by the opposition. The officials emphasized that the incident is being investigated separately and that no political hand is behind the structural removal.
The controversy has sparked a brief political tussle in the city, with Akhilesh Yadav using the incident to criticize the ruling party's handling of heritage sites. While the SP chief continues to press his claims, the administration maintains that the demolition was a procedural matter unrelated to political intent.
No further official statement has been released regarding the specific legal or administrative reasons for the demolition at this stage. The focus remains on the political exchange between the SP leadership and the local administration over the fate of the historic residence.
In response to these allegations, local officials have categorically denied any involvement or role in the demolition. They stated that the action was not carried out by their department and rejected the political narrative being spun by the opposition. The officials emphasized that the incident is being investigated separately and that no political hand is behind the structural removal.
The controversy has sparked a brief political tussle in the city, with Akhilesh Yadav using the incident to criticize the ruling party's handling of heritage sites. While the SP chief continues to press his claims, the administration maintains that the demolition was a procedural matter unrelated to political intent.
No further official statement has been released regarding the specific legal or administrative reasons for the demolition at this stage. The focus remains on the political exchange between the SP leadership and the local administration over the fate of the historic residence.