# Akhilesh accuses BJP of exploiting artists, closing schools 2026-08-08T14:41:22+00:00 | Politics | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday accused the BJP of misusing artistes for political gain, citing an incident where a performer dressed as Hanuman danced before BJP president Nitin Nabin in Lucknow. Yadav said the BJP fears creativity because it fuels an "anti-establishment wave." He also alleged the BJP closed over 26,000 government primary schools in Uttar Pradesh since 2017, denying education to backward, Dalit, and minority children. Yadav made these remarks while giving ₹51,000 each to two Ramlila artistes, and promised an "Yash Bharti Samman" and ₹1 lakh monthly pension to artists if his party returns to power. ## Coverage - thehindu.com Tags: Akhilesh Yadav, artist exploitation, BJP, Ramlila, school closures, Uttar Pradesh politics Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/akhilesh-accuses-bjp-of-exploiting-artists-closing-schools/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/akhilesh-accuses-bjp-of-exploiting-artists-closing-schools/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.