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Lucknow: Posters and hoardings inspired by a Bollywood movie “Dhurandhar” targeting Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have surfaced at several locations in Lucknow and Amethi, triggering a political row months ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

The posters, put up outside the Amethi railway station and at various intersections, carry a slogan “Aap ko kya chahiye? Akhilesh ka Lyari raj.”

The reference was to Lyari, a locality in Pakistan’s Karachi, once notorious for gang wars and violence and was mentioned in the Bollywood movie “Dhurandhar”.

The hoardings, allegedly put up by a group calling itself “Youth Against Mafia”, also juxtapose alleged incidents of violence and riots during Yadav’s tenure as chief minister with the current government’s crackdown on mafia and criminals under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Names and photographs of the organisation’s office-bearers, including its executive president, general secretary and Pratapgarh in-charge, are also displayed on the posters.

Similar posters by the same organisation were also seen at several places in Lucknow on Tuesday.

The Samajwadi Party condemned the move, alleging political vendetta. Amethi district spokesperson advocate Rajesh Mishra said the posters reflected the “frustration and desperation” of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government.

He claimed the BJP was resorting to such tactics as it had realised that it would not return to power, adding that the public was aware of these “attempts to mislead”.

Amethi police station in-charge Ravi Singh said police had received information about the posters and a team had been sent to the spot.