Akhilesh Yadav flags school land grab in Lucknow's Narai
Synopsis
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that people with political patronage under the BJP government encroached on school land in Narai, Lucknow, forcing the school to close, and questioned whether any official would respond to the children's plight.
Key Takeaways
Akhilesh Yadav alleged on June 7, 2026 that a school in Narai, Lucknow was shut after its land was encroached upon.
He described the alleged encroachers as individuals 'specially favoured' under the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh .
Yadav called the incident 'utterly condemnable' and questioned the administration's sensitivity toward affected children.
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 mandates state protection of school land and uninterrupted schooling.
The Uttar Pradesh education department and Lucknow district administration have yet to respond publicly to the allegation.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday, June 7, 2026, alleged that a school in Narai, Lucknow has been shut down after individuals he described as 'specially favoured' under the BJP government encroached on its land, demanding to know whether anyone in authority remains sensitive to the cries of affected children.
Context
In his post, Yadav wrote: 'भाजपा राज में विशेष कृपा प्राप्त लोगों ने नराई, लखनऊ में स्कूल की ज़मीन पर क़ब्ज़ा करके स्कूल बंद करा दिया है' — 'In the BJP regime, people who enjoy special favour have occupied the school land in Narai, Lucknow, and got the school shut down.' He ended the post with the word 'Ghor nindaniya' — 'Utterly condemnable.'
The allegation centres on a school in the Narai locality of Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh. Yadav, a Lok Sabha MP and former Chief Minister of the state, questioned whether any 'sensitive and compassionate' official exists to hear the children's appeal.
Policy Backdrop
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 — commonly known as the RTE Act — places an explicit obligation on state governments to protect school land and infrastructure from encroachment and to ensure continuity of education for enrolled children.
Any closure of a government or aided school that leaves children without an alternative placement raises compliance questions under this law. The Uttar Pradesh state government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the BJP since 2017, holds administrative responsibility over district-level school infrastructure in Lucknow.
Stakeholders and Impact
The most directly affected parties are the school-going children of Narai and their families, who face disruption to education if the closure stands. Local residents who depend on the institution as a neighbourhood public asset are also affected.
The Samajwadi Party has consistently highlighted land-use disputes and alleged encroachments on public property — schools, hospitals, community centres — as evidence of governance failure by the BJP administration in Uttar Pradesh. Such allegations from the opposition frequently draw attention to the gap between policy mandates and ground-level implementation in the state's capital itself.
What's Next
All eyes are now on the Uttar Pradesh education department and the Lucknow district administration to respond to the allegation, clarify the status of the school, and indicate whether any action has been or will be taken against alleged encroachers.
If the administration confirms the closure and a land dispute, it would be required under the RTE Act to arrange alternative schooling for affected children without delay. The episode is likely to remain a flashpoint in the ongoing political contest between the Samajwadi Party and the BJP ahead of future electoral cycles in Uttar Pradesh.
Point of View
Using the emotive lens of children's education. By situating the alleged encroachment in Lucknow — the state capital and seat of the BJP administration — the Samajwadi Party sharpens the symbolism: the failure, it argues, is visible in the government's own backyard. The invocation of the RTE Act's spirit, even implicitly, frames the issue within a rights-based discourse that is difficult for any administration to dismiss without a factual counter. Until the district administration or education department provides a documented response, the allegation occupies political space unchallenged.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Akhilesh Yadav allege about a school in Lucknow?
Akhilesh Yadav alleged that individuals enjoying special favour under the BJP government encroached on the land of a school in Narai, Lucknow, and caused the school to be shut down.
Where is Narai located?
Narai is a locality in Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, which is also the state capital.
What law protects school land from encroachment in India?
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) places an obligation on state governments to protect school land and infrastructure and ensure continuity of education.
Has the UP government responded to Akhilesh Yadav's school encroachment claim?
As of the time of this report, neither the Uttar Pradesh education department nor the Lucknow district administration has issued a public response to the allegation.
Why is Akhilesh Yadav raising school encroachment issues?
As Samajwadi Party president and Leader of Opposition in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav regularly raises local governance failures — including land encroachments on public property — to highlight what the party describes as administrative breakdown under the BJP government since 2017.
