Lucknow: Recalling how socialist ideologue Ram Manohar Lohia dedicated his entire life to social justice and equality through Saptkranti (seven-fold revolution), Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Monday announced that once voted to form govt, his party will introduce the concept of ‘price ceiling’ for essential products propagated by Lohia.Talking to the media after paying floral tributes at Lohia’s statue at Lohia Park in Gomtinagar to mark his death anniversary, Akhilesh said the socialist ideologue gave the call for ‘Dam Bandho’ to check profiteering and black marketing of essential commodities of daily need. This was essential to make these items of daily need accessible to all. “Voted to form the govt in 2027 assembly poll, we will implement Lohia’s ‘price ceiling policy’,” he said.“Lohia ji dedicated his entire life fighting for equality and fighting against injustice. He was against every form of inequality and injustice and this spirit was rooted in his call for Saptkranti (seven-fold revolution) comprising gender equality, ending racial and caste-based inequalities, protecting national Independence, economic equality, protection of individual freedom, demilitarisation and Satyagraha,” Akhilesh said.Apart from Akhilesh, senior SP functionaries including the party’s national general secretary Shivpal Yadav, secretary and ex-cabinet minister Rajendra Chowdhary, state president Shyam Lal Pal, former MLC Dr Madhu Gupta, MP RK Chaudhary, MLA Ravidas Mehrotra and national president of SP’s teachers’ wing Prof B Pandey were also present.“We are committed to ensuring that Samajwadi Party prevails on the socialist principles of Lohia and party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s struggle to implement those principles. We all will get together to fulfil the dreams of Dr Ambedkar, Lohia and Netaji (Mulayam),” Akhilesh said.The SP chief took on BJP for lopsided economic policies which have left the country’s wealth concentrated in the hands of a few while the rest of the people were struggling to secure two square meals a day. “A huge part of our country’s population don’t have access to the bare essentials that are needed to survive whereas some people are so wealthy that one cannot even imagine. This has to end,” he said.
