Fifteen days after local leaders from the Samajwadi Party (SP) forcefully inaugurated the 10.3 km-long elevated road from UP Gate to Raj Nagar Extension, the much-awaited route got a second inauguration – this time by UP CM and BJP leader Yogi Adityanath - on Friday. At the inaugural ceremony, the CM hit out at the former government, stating that the road would have never been functional under the SP's rule. While addressing those present at the event, Adityanath said the former SP government had begun work on the project in 2014, without any sanctions from the Railways and Environment Ministries, due to which, work had to be started afresh once the BJP came to power. A video on the work and welfare programmes by the present government was also played at the event, following which Ghaziabad MP V K Singh spoke on the how the BJP governments, both at the state and the Centre, were pushing funds for development in the region. UP Powe Minister Shrikant Sharma also attacked the recently formed SP-BSP alliance, calling it a "cocktail coalition". On March 16, hopes of the Ghaziabad District Administration (GDA) to inaugurate the long stretch of road amid much fanfare were squashed when the district SP leaders threw the road open to public use. A slew of vehicles reached the Raj Nagar Extension entry of the elevated road. A ribbon was cut, a coconut broken and the road was inaugurated as those gathered flanked SP flags. The road was open to public use for a few minutes until government officials and police personnel reached the spot and cordoned off the area. The act did only earn the wrath of the GDA but also led to an FIR being filed against Ghaziabad SP leader Rakesh Yadav and other unnamed persons on charges of criminal intimidation, rioting and even attempt to murder.
