BY KULDEEP SINGH YADAV
LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party national president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on October 17 flagged off a free religious pilgrimage bus service for residents of Shikarpur in Bulandshahr district at the party headquarters in Lucknow, highlighting the importance of public service, social solidarity and compassion. The initiative, spearheaded by Shiv Kumar Sharma, popularly known as Seetu Mahi or Seetu Bhai, will operate two buses regularly to facilitate visits to religious sites and bathing festivals.
The service will enable devotees to leave in the morning, perform their religious rituals and return home by evening. Transportation and food arrangements will be provided entirely free of charge, ensuring that financial constraints do not deprive residents of an opportunity to undertake religious journeys. Decorated with Samajwadi Party flags and banners, the buses also reflected the political identity of the initiative.
Appreciating Sharma’s commitment to public welfare, Akhilesh Yadav urged him to take the party’s PDA message of love, compassion and a sense of belonging to every household and village. He asserted that PDA stood firmly with those subjected to humiliation, oppression and exploitation, offering them solidarity and support. The initiative extends beyond religious travel. Sharma disclosed that he also provides ambulance services, access to a free flour mill and tractors to assist local residents.
These facilities, he indicated, form part of his broader commitment to community welfare and grassroots assistance. A committed supporter of Samajwadi Party policies, Sharma pledged to mobilise public support for the party and work towards securing a decisive majority under Akhilesh Yadav’s leadership, with the objective of bringing him back to the Chief Minister’s office. The flag-off event underscored the party’s emphasis on connecting political messaging with practical public service.
By facilitating religious journeys without financial burden, the initiative seeks to address everyday community needs while strengthening the party’s grassroots outreach. Former cabinet minister Rajendra Chaudhary, national secretary and former MLA Banshi Singh Pahadia, Saurabh Meena, Sanjeev Pahadia, Karan Chaudhary, Chaudhary Virendra Singh, Ram Kumar Pradhan and Sandeep Yadav were among those present on the occasion.
