Overview
- Demolition of shops in Dal Mandi is underway for a road-widening drive linked to the Kashi Vishwanath corridor, prompting street protests.
- At a Lucknow press conference on November 21, the Samajwadi Party chief alleged the BJP is punishing an area that does not back it electorally and urged an immediate stop.
- Traders identified as Rahul Arora, Bhale Yadav, Sajid, and Nilofer Bano described coercive acquisition, inadequate compensation, and threats by officials.
- Yadav rejected rehabilitation plans shifting traders to Lohata or Mohansarai, arguing those locations lack customer footfall and would destroy livelihoods.
- He framed the drive as part of a wider pattern in Uttar Pradesh, citing Meerut and Lucknow’s Akbarnagar, while reports carried no detailed official rebuttal or legal orders.