LUCKNOW, June 25 -- Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday flayed the Uttar Pradesh government's ongoing drive against coaching institutes in the wake of the recent Aliganj building fire tragedy in Lucknow, claiming it will affect lakhs of students preparing for competitive examinations.

In a statement, he also accused the government of using the fire safety inspections at coaching institutes in the state to harass the public and claimed that the exercise could become a tool for corruption.

"While there should be no compromise on safety, was the government sleeping for the last 10 years? How did the government suddenly find enough staff in a single day to issue notices to thousands of people across the state after inspecti...