Puri: Samajwadi Party chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav visited the Jagannath Temple here on Wednesday and offered prayers.
His wife Dimple Yadav, also a Lok Sabha MP, accompanied the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister.
“Today, I have taken Lord Jagannath’s blessings… I hope Lord Jagannath blesses the people of the entire country and strengthens social justice in the country. I also prayed for eradication of poverty from India,” Akhilesh told newspersons after his temple visit.
जय जगन्नाथ pic.twitter.com/QopQ8jDAdE
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) April 16, 2025
#WATCH | Samajwadi Party chief & MP Akhilesh Yadav, along with his wife and MP Dimple Yadav, today visited & offered prayers at Puri’s Shri Jagannath Temple pic.twitter.com/bUR5NYPvut
— ANI (@ANI) April 16, 2025
Earlier, Akhilesh met senior Congress leader Srikant Jena in Bhubaneswar.
“We are trying to strengthen our presence in Odisha by engaging with more people on the ground,” Akhilesh said.
On his meeting with Jena, the SP supremo stated: “To fulfil Babasaheb Ambedkar’s dream of equality, respect, and inclusivity, I have come here to meet Jena, who is secular and democratic. With the dream of Ambedkar, the SP aims to expand in Odisha.”
On arrival at Bhubaneswar airport, the SP chief said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) should be disbanded as there are other agencies to investigate economic offences, reported PTI.
Asked about the Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi being named in ED chargesheet, Akhilesh told reporters said that it was the Congress which had established the ED, and is now facing trouble because of this agency.
“I would like to speak on ED rather than National Herald. The Congress had created ED, and is now in trouble because of the same organisation. I earlier said that there are several institutions like the Income Tax Department to look into economic offences. Therefore, there is no need to have an ED. It should be disbanded,” Akhilesh opined.
On BJP’s claim of successful ‘double engine’ governance model, Akhilesh said the two engines in Uttar Pradesh are moving in separate lines.
“I do not know what is happening in Odisha. Synchronised governance in the state and at the Centre has not met its anticipated goals,” he said.
Akhilesh congratulated West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for constructing a Jagannath temple in her state. He also hoped that there is no repeat of the widespread violence over Waqf Act protests witnessed in Bengal during the last few days.
