Watch: People steal flower pots near Rashtriya Prerna Sthal in Lucknow after inauguration by PM Modi
The video, recorded by a person driving a car, shows him calling out those involved in the act and noting down the registration number of the scooter on which the flower pots were being taken.
In a rather embarrassing moment that was caught on camera, several people were seen taking away flower pots from the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the memorial dedicated to former statesman Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lucknow on Thursday. Videos of the brazen act are now going viral on social media.
The visuals show residents lifting flower pots and placing them on their two-wheeler vehicles before leaving the area soon after the event concluded. The videos have triggered widespread discussion online, with many users expressing surprise and criticism over the behaviour.
The video, filmed by a person driving a car, shows him calling out the people indulging in the shameful act, and also noting down the registration number of the scooter they were taking the flower pots on.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal on Thursday. For the programme, thousands of flowers and decorative pots had been arranged along the roads and around the venue as part of the beautification efforts.
After the inauguration ceremony ended, several of these pots were allegedly stolen by people present at the site. The incident was captured on mobile phones and quickly circulated across social media platforms. Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the matter.
PM Modi inaugurated the memorial in Lucknow on the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended the ceremony.
About the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal
The complex, developed for Rs 230 crore by the Lucknow Development Authority, spans 65 acres along the Gomti River in the Basant Kunj Yojana area of Dubagga. Officials said the land previously functioned as a dumping ground and had accumulated nearly 6.5 lakh metric tonnes of garbage. The waste was processed and removed before redevelopment work began.
As part of the transformation, around 50000 trees were planted across the site using the Miyawaki technique, turning the former landfill into a green public space. At the centre of the complex are three 65-foot-tall bronze statues of BJP and RSS ideologues Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was awarded the Bharat Ratna.
The memorial includes a museum spread over 6300 square metres, designed to familiarise visitors with the lives, struggles and philosophies of the three leaders through digital and immersive displays.
Several sections focus on Vajpayee’s tenure as prime minister, including the Pokhran nuclear tests, the international sanctions that followed, and welfare initiatives such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
The museum also documents the Emergency of 1975 and key milestones linked to the emergence of what officials describe as New India.
Exhibits highlight Vajpayee’s poetry, Upadhyaya’s philosophy of Antyodaya and Integral Humanism, and Mookerjee’s political movement and satyagraha related to Jammu and Kashmir.
Beyond the museum, the Rashtriya Prerna Sthal has been envisioned as a major public space for cultural and civic activities. The campus includes a 3000 seater amphitheatre, open air theatres, multipurpose halls, a rally ground, a meditation hall and a library.