Akhilesh Yadav demands two-day holiday for Maharana Pratap Jayanti

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 9 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday demanded that the Uttar Pradesh government announce a two-day holiday on the occasion of Maharana Pratap Jayanti.
He assured that the Samajwadi Party would build the statue of Maharana Pratap holding a gold sword along with other great personalities at the already announced Riverfront, which would be a park dedicated to the public, once it comes to power in Uttar Pradesh.
"We demand that the government provide a two-day holiday on the occasion of Maharana Pratap Jayanti so that we can make preparations for one day and celebrate the festival the next day. At places, his statue has been made. At the Riverfront, we have announced plans to build a park in the name of great men. Not only will we build the best statue in his (Maharana Pratap) name at the Riverfront, the sword with the statue will be of gold," Yadav told reporters in a press conference.
Maharana Pratap was born on May 9, 1540. The Rajput ruler of Mewar in Rajasthan fought the battle of Haldighati with Akbar in 1576.

Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid tribute to the erstwhile Rajput ruler of Mewar, on his birth anniversary.
In a post on X, CM Yogi Adityanath shared, "Tributes to the immortal son of mother Bharati, the eternal voice of independence, the bright flag of sacrifice, the 'Hindu Sun', Veer Shiromani Maharana Pratap on his sacred birth anniversary! Maharana, who sacrificed everything for his country, religion and self-respect, is the great hero and people's leader of India. The aura of Maharana's personality, imbued with strong democratic values, will continue to illuminate the 'struggle of humanity' and guide us for centuries."
CM Yogi Adityanath pointed out in the past that, during the Congress era, history was manipulated to portray Akbar as great while undermining the greatness of Maharana Pratap. (ANI)