News Analysis India

Tag: Akhilesh Yadav

  • Justice will be done to Azam Khan, says Akhilesh Yadav

    By PTI

    AZAMGARH: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday expressed hope that justice will be done to Azam Khan, the SP leader languishing in jail for over two years.

    Yadav, who attended a function in Azamgarh, alleged that the government is tightening legal grip on Azam Khan so that he could not get out of jail.

    Khan, a senior SP leader and MLA from Rampur, is currently in jail on several charges including corruption. “The way the court hearing is going on, Samajwadis hope that justice will be done to him,” said Yadav.

    Khan has been lodged in Sitapur jail for over two years.

    In a major relief to him, the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday granted Khan bail in the case of illegal possession of enemy property. Khan, a former state minister, has got bail in 88 out of 89 cases. He will be released from jail only after the bail is granted in the last case.

    The SP president alleged that ever since the BJP government has come to power, it has imposed serious sections like sedition against the political leaders who are vocal against the government. “Bulldozers are being used to demolish the homes of Muslims and people seeking justice in the state,” said Yadav.

    The former Chief Minister of UP said that the condition of the country will become like Sri Lanka if the government ends the free ration scheme.

    “The government now lacks budget, it now is looking for excuses to stop the ‘Kisan Samman Nidhi’ and ration distribution. The government has forgotten that the country is run by law and constitution and not by bulldozers,” said Yadav.

    Asked about controversy over videography survey in Gyanvapi campus of Varanasi, Yadav alleged that the BJP is deliberately stoking hatred among the people. He said that there is an order of the Supreme Court that old heritage should not be tampered with.

    “Will the government also not accept this decision of the court?” Yadav asked.

  • Removal of loudspeakers a tactic to divert attention from real issues in UP: Akhilesh

    By Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Even as loudspeakers were being removed from places of worship across the state in compliance with the UP government’s order, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took a jibe calling it a tactic to divert attention from real issues.

    Notably, the state’s law enforcement authorities have removed around 11,000 illegal loudspeakers from places of worship and have reduced the volume of around 35,000 sound amplifiers across the state so far in compliance with the UP government order released recently.

    According to the ADG (law and order), a drive was on to remove illegal loudspeakers mounted on places of worship and reducing the sound of sound amplifiers keeping the guidelines of the court in mind.

    Moreover, the UP government’s action in this connection has drawn praise from Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thakre on Thursday.

    ALSO READ | Jhansi sets an example of harmony as loudspeakers from biggest temple, mosque removed

    Akhilesh, with more than a hint of sarcasm, however said that while the state government had been boasting about the removal of loudspeakers from places of worship, it should also spell out the number of jobs created so far.

    While participating in a programme at village Nagla Moti in his assembly constituency of Karhal, the SP chief said that the removal of loudspeakers from places of worship was a way to digress from real issues.

    “People are suffering from joblessness, procurement of wheat from farmers is not taking place and prices rise are the issues affecting the people of the state and the government is silent on them,” he said while talking to mediapersons.

    “While the law enforcement authorities are busy removing loudspeakers, crime graph is rising in the state. If the cops will be involved in removing loudspeakers, when will they enforce law and order. No one is getting employment in the state. Job opportunities are ending and trade is dying,” said the SP chief.

  • Mayawati slams Akhilesh Yadav, says never dreamt of becoming country’s President

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday junked Akhilesh Yadav’s remarks about her prospects of becoming President of the country, saying she has never aspired to be one and that the SP leader was dreaming about it to clear his path to become the chief minister.

    Mayawati’s remarks come a day after Yadav said in Mainpuri that the “BSP has transferred its votes to the BJP in the Uttar Pradesh polls. Now it will be interesting to see whether the BJP makes Mayawati President or not) in return”. The BSP leader and former chief minister said she had never dreamt of being appointed to the post.

    “I had never dreamt of becoming the president of the country. All I know that the work I am doing of making the downtrodden stand on their feet can be achieved by becoming CM and PM but not president and so the Samajwadi Party should forget it,” Mayawati told reporters here.

    The SP leader is dreaming of making me the President of the country in order to clear the path for him to become the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, the BSP president said.

  • Five of family found dead at home in UP, SP says state has ‘drowned in crime’ under BJP 2.0

    By PTI

    PRAYAGRAJ/LUCKNOW: Five members of a family, including three children, were found dead at their home in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj district, police said on Saturday.

    The incident took place in Khagalpur village under Nawabganj police station area on Friday night, they said.

    Prayagraj Superintendent of Police Abhishek Agarwal said Rahul (42), his wife Priti (38) and their daughters Mahi (15), Pihu (13) and Kuhu (11) were found dead at their home.

    A forensic team and a dog squad are at the spot for investigation. Rahul was found hanging from the roof, the other deceased had injuries from a sharp object on their neck.

    Senior Superintendent of Police (Prayagraj) Ajay Kumar said, “The body of the house owner, Rahul, was found hanging from the ceiling with a saree and it had no injury marks. Three chairs were stacked where his body was found, indicating that he committed suicide.

    “The bodies of Rahul’s wife and three daughters bore injury marks inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon, which suggests murder. Both these angles are being probed.” The post mortem report of Rahul’s body that came on Saturday evening confirmed that he had committed suicide by hanging himself from the roof with a saree, said senior police officials.

    The police received information about the incident around 7.30 am. Seven teams have been formed to probe the case, the SSP said.

    According to Rahul’s sister and brother-in-law, he was embroiled in a dispute with his in-laws for a while, the police said.

    Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav attacked the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government over the incident, saying the state has “drowned in crime”.

    “Under the rule of BJP government 2.0, UP has drowned in crime. Today’s crime list,” he tweeted in Hindi along with a screenshot of a news channel.

    Replying to Yadav, a senior police official said a preliminary probe indicates that the head of the family killed the others before committing suicide.

    “A preliminary probe indicates that the house owner killed his family before committing suicide due to a family dispute, ” Additional Director General, Prayagraj zone, Prem Prakash tweeted in Hindi.

    Terming the incident “extremely sad,” Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in Lucknow said the truth behind the incident will be known once the probe is completed.

    “The incident is being probed seriously and expeditiously. The reason behind it will be known (after the investigation). The guilty will not be spared,” he said.

    Asked about the Opposition’s criticism over the incident, Maurya said, “At a time when the police are probing the incident and trying to catch the culprits, people should wait. The guilty will not be able to escape, even if any opposition leader tries to save them.”

    In another incident in the Sorawa village of the district, a woman was hit on her head by her husband in a family brawl resulting in her death.

    Sorawa police station in-charge Sudhir Kumar said following a quarrel on Friday night, Sorawa resident Malak Chaudhary hit his wife on her head with a blunt object leading to her death.

    In yet another incident, the body of Rambabu of Bari village of the district was found the previous night.

    The victim had moved out of the home following a telephone call and later his body with deep injuries on his head was found.

    The injuries indicated an attack by an iron rod. The body was found at some distance from his home in the village.

  • With dissent brewing in SP, Mulayam holds closed-door meeting with Akhilesh

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In the wake of voices of dissent emanating from certain quarters of the Samajwadi Party, party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav has become suddenly active.

    On Friday, Mulayam held a 90-minute-long closed-door meeting with son and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav at the party headquarters in the state capital.

    The father-son duo had visited their stronghold of Mainpuri two days ago and had given a pep talk to the party workers. The Friday meeting was in fact the second time that Mulayam and Akhilesh had gotten together in the past 48 hours.

    With rising wrangling in the party’s first family and speculations about Shivpal Yadav joining the saffron brigade doing the rounds, the meeting is being seen as a gesture by the party patriarch to send out a message that he was standing by son Akhilesh.

    Political observers feel the recent developments within the SP — starting from Shivpal’s expression of dismay over the treatment meted out to him, Sambhal MP Shafiqur Rehman Barq’s diatribe expressing discontent over the way the party had been dealing with minority issues, Azam Khan’s close aide accusing Akhilesh of neglecting the Rampur MLA and SP RS MP Sukhram Yadav’s latest move of meeting CM Yogi Adityanath — have all unsettled the party cadre.

    “Mulayam is a seasoned politician and he wants to give an impression that he and Akhilesh are on the same page on all party-related issues. He wants to convey that he is with Akhilesh in every situation — victory and defeat,” said AK Mishra, a political scientist, adding that the party patriarch might have shared some pearls of wisdom with the son over party matters and the dissensions cropping up.

    Highly-placed SP sources said Mulayam arrived at the party office unannounced on Friday afternoon and was joined by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav an hour later since he (Akhilesh) was returning from his constituency Karhal.

    ALSO READ | Another Muslim leader quits Samajwadi Party, cites Akhilesh’s inaction over ‘atrocities’

    As mentioned earlier, the two spent almost 90 minutes together before some other leaders joined them. Thereafter, Mulayam left the party office. Akhilesh held a couple of meetings with SP leaders before he called it a day.

  • Another Muslim leader quits Samajwadi Party, cites Akhilesh’s inaction over ‘atrocities’

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: The number of Muslim leaders questioning the silence of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over the alleged incidents of atrocities against the minority community has gone up further as another leader – Mohammad Kasim Raeen – tendered his resignation from all party posts here on Friday.

    Kasim tendered his resignation citing no action by party chief Akhilesh Yadav and others against the alleged atrocities meted out to Muslims in the state. He accused the SP chief of having no interest in raising the issues of Muslims.

    Referring to the “plight” of Muslim leaders and party MLAs like Azam Khan, Nahid Hassan and Shahzil Islam, Raeen wrote in a letter released to media: “I am resigning from all the posts of the party after being displeased with such behaviour of the SP President towards Muslims,” he added. Kasim was the SP sector in-charge of the Sultanpur district.

    In the wake of rising discontent among the Muslim leadership of the SP, the party may find it tough to keep the minority community in good humour, say political pundits.

    According to them, if the discontent intensifies, the SP will face a challenge in keeping the minority vote bank intact in 2024 getting as much support as it got in the recently concluded Assembly elections.

    It will be difficult for Akhilesh to fight the perception that Muslim leaders are being ignored by him despite putting in their blood and sweat in the biggest ever consolidation of the community in his favour in the history of UP Assembly elections.

    Despite aggressively positioning itself against the saffron party, the SP finished a distant second winning 111 seats and the BJP-led NDA retained power winning 273 seats in the 403-member Assembly.

    In the recent past, the SP has been facing dissent from different quarters of the Muslim community. While an office bearer Salman Javed Raeen resigned on Wednesday,  Azam Khan’s media in-charge Fasahat Ali Shanu, SP MP from Sambhal Shafiqur Rehman Barq and a cleric of revered Ala Hazarat shrine of Bareilly, Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi, all have expressed dismay and displeasure over the alleged apathetic attitude of the SP chief towards the community.

    The cleric even went to the extent of saying that Akhilesh didn’t like Muslims. He advised the community to shun the SP and join the BJP. Rizvi is also the national general secretary of Tanzeeem Ulma-e-Islam. “In fact, the dissent emanating from the minority community is due to the frustration and feeling of hopelessness among the Muslims especially after the Assembly elections. In fact, the perception that Muslim consolidation could stop the saffron juggernaut has been defeated. Now the feeling of being ‘irrelevant’ as a vote bank is riding high among Muslims and they are venting that ire on the SP leadership,” says JP Shukla, a prominent political commentator.

    However, he does not rule out a division of Muslim votes in upcoming elections especially the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. “The Muslims have realized that their votes even in favour of one party best placed to defeat the BJP cannot stop the saffron surge. So, in 2024, they may drift a bit towards the Congress as it will be a national election and the SP and BSP do not have much stake in it,” says Shukla.

    Over Akhilesh’s silence to all the dissent, Dr AK Verma, director, Centre for Study of Society and Politics (CSSP), feels that the SP chief possibly does not want to be associated with those who violate the law. “Akhilesh seems to have realised that if he will be seen supporting Muslim leaders with prominent criminal antecedents, he will lose the support, whatever it may be, of other sections of society without which he will never be able to come to power,” says Dr Verma.

    However, for now, voices emerging from the Muslim camp are no music for the SP leadership. The situation may see other political parties like the Congress and BSP back in the picture eyeing Muslim votes.

  • Dissent gets shriller in SP, party leader quits of apathy to Muslims

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Amid the growing discontent among the Muslim leadership in the Samajwadi Party, the first Muslim leader Salman Javed Raeen tendered his resignation from the party in protest against the alleged apathy of the party leadership towards the Muslim community.

    While writing a letter to party leadership, Raeen flagged the guarded silence by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav by quoting the instances of Azam Khan who, he claimed, was sent to jail along with his family, Kairana MLA Nahid Hasan had been languishing in jail and Shahzil Islam, SP MLA from Bhojipura assembly segment in Bareilly district, booked for hate speech and his petrol pump was demolished.

    The SP office-bearer from Sultanpur further added that if a coward leader could not raise the voice in support of his party men, how could he be expected to raise people’s issues. Raeen is not the first person to express his discontent with the attitude of SP chef towards Muslims, earlier, SP stalwart and party’s Rampur MLA Azam Khan’s media in-charge Fasahat Ali Shanu had also aired his anger and disappointment with the approach of Akhilesh Yadav towards Azam. 

    Shanu had claimed that Akhilesh did not reciprocate the gesture of Azam Khan who supported the candidature of both Akhilesh and Mulayam for the Chief Ministership, by appointing him as leader of the opposition in the 18th Assembly.

    Shanu had claimed at a meeting in the Rampur SP office that Akhilesh Yadav could win 125 seats with the overwhelming support of Muslims but he did not want to be seen with them. He had accused Akhilesh Yadav of visiting Azam Khan in jail just once during the last 26 months of his incarceration.

    Earlier, even SP MP from Sambhal, Shafiqur Rehman Barq had also expressed his dissatisfaction with the way SP was going about Muslims. Significantly, the state chief of Jayant Chaudhury led Rashtriya Lok Dal, Masood Ahmad was the first one to raise a red flag against the alliance leadership immediately after the Assembly elections accusing them of having a dictatorial attitude and having sold the tickets to candidates.

    On the other, in an interesting turn of events, a senior Muslim cleric Maulana Shahabuddin Rizvi, associated with the revered shrine of Ala Hazrat in Bareilly, advised the community to explore other options, even the BJP, to extend support. He even accused the SP chief of abhorring Muslims and that he failed to unite himself with the minority community. The cleric charged Akhilesh with pushing the prominent Muslim faces back during the election carrying the whole campaign alone. “There is a huge difference between the SP of Akhilesh and Mulayam Singh Yadav,” said the cleric.

  • Those who flayed Samajwadi Party’s red cap themselves wore one, Akhilesh Yadav’s jibe at BJP leaders

    By PTI

    KANNAUJ: Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday took a dig at BJP leaders for wearing caps at an event, recalling how they used to earlier comment on the headgear worn by his party members.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP leaders were seen wearing saffron caps at the party’s foundation day programme on Wednesday.

    The red cap worn by members of the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party had come under severe criticism during the recently held Assembly polls, with PM Narendra Modi equating it with “red alert”.

    In a swipe at the Samajwadi Party, Modi had alleged that those wearing red caps “want power to commit scams, fill their coffers, indulge in illegal grabbing (of resources) and to give complete freedom to the mafia”.

    “Those who used to say all sorts of things about red caps of the Samajwadi Party are today sitting with caps on,” Yadav told reporters here after pictures emerged with BJP leaders and PM Modi wearing caps at their party’s 42nd foundation day.

  • Amid rift with Akhilesh, Shivpal meets Yogi triggering speculations

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Amid the rift with Samajwadi Party chief and nephew Akhilesh Yadav, Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) chief Shivpal Yadav reached out to UP CM Yogi Adityanath paying him a visit at his official residence triggering speculation of realignment of political forces here on Wednesday evening.

    Shivpal, who is an MLA from Jaswantnagar in Etawah on SP symbol, however, called it a courtesy call meant to greet Yogi on his victory and return to power in UP.

    Earlier, in the day, Shivpal had reached Assembly where he was administered the oath of house as an MLA by the newly-appointed Speaker Satish Mahana.

    Coming out after the 20-minute meeting with Yogi, when the media persons asked Shivpal Yadav about his plans to join the BJP, he did not refute the possibility it saying that he had already taken the oath of the house and did not want to say more than that for now.

    The chasm in the first family of Samjawadi Party widened on Tuesday when Shivpal Yadav boycotted the meeting of allies called by Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow.

    In fact, Shivpal has been sulking since he was not invited to SP legislative party meeting in which Akhilesh was elected SPLP leader on Saturday. He had openly expressed his discontent over not being invited to SPLP meeting. The sources close to Shivpal Yadav claimed that the PSP-L chief wanted a bigger role in SP after he contested the recently concluded Assembly elections on SP symbol from Jaswantnagar sacrificing his own party.

    After Shivpal’s outburst, the SP issued a clarification saying that none of the allies were called to the meeting and Shivpal too was an ally. Whereas Shivpal contended that he was an SP MLA who contested and won the Jaswantnagar seat on SP symbol.

    In fact, Shivpal has been nurturing the discontent since his party was not spared even a single seat to contest in the recently concluded elections. 

    Even during the elections, Shivpal had expressed his chagrin by saying that he agreed to contest on SP symbols only to keep Mulayam Singh Yadav’s words.

    The PSPL sources claimed that during his recent Etawah visit, Shivpal consulted his supporters about his future course of action after the “disrespect” shown to him by SP chief. 

    It is believed that he got the full support of his supporters who promised to stand by him unconditionally.

    It may be recalled that Akhilesh had reached out to Shivpal ahead of Assembly elections offering him to contest the polls on SP symbol from Jaswantnagar and promising him the respect and honour as per his stature.

  • Rift within Yadav family widens, chinks appear in SP alliance post UP polls defeat

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: While the chasm in Yadav family seems to have widened further, the chinks in the armour of the alliance, led by the Samajwadi Party, surfaced on Tuesday.

    On one hand, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s uncle and Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia chief Shivpal Yadav boycotted the meeting of allies called by Akhilesh in Lucknow, on the other, an important ally Mahan Dal was not invited to the meeting which was convened to ascertain the reasons of alliance’s defeat in recently concluded UP elections.

    Even Apna Dal (K) leader Pallavi Patel, who had contested the assembly election on SP symbol from Sirathu defeating BJP’s Keshav Maurya, did not make it to the meeting. 

    However, the reason for her absence is said to be her unhappiness over the alleged SP’s treatment with allies.

    As per the invite shared by the SP on twitter, leaders of four parties—Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party’s (SBSP) OP Rajbhar, PSP-L chief Shivpal Yadav, Apna Dal (K)’s Pallavi Patel and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Legislative Party leader Rajpal Baliyan were invited to the review meeting. SP alliance has won 125 seats in the recently concluded UP polls. 

    While SP bagged 111 seats, smaller allies including RLD got eight seats and SBSP six seats. While Apna Dal (K) could not win any seat on its ticket, none of the Mahan Dal candidate could make it to the Assembly.

    When Akhilesh Yadav was chairing the meeting with allies at SP headquarters in Lucknow, his uncle Shivpal Yadav was in Etawah busy attending a religious function. 

    Shivpal reached Etawah back on Tuesday after meeting elder brother and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in Delhi.

    Sulking Shivpal, taking the vow to open his mouth at an appropriate time, had proceeded to Etawah after he was not invited to SP legislative party meeting in which Akhilesh was elected SPLP leader on Saturday. 

    He had openly expressed his discontent over not being invited to SPLP meeting.

    However, after Shivpal’s outburst, SP had rushed to issue the clarification saying that none of the allies were called to the meeting and Shivpal too fell in the category of allies. Whereas Shivpal contended that he was an SP MLA who contested and won the Jaswantnagar seat on SP symbol so he should have been invited to the SP legislative party meeting.

    In fact, Shivpal has been sulking since his party was not spared even a single seat to contest in the recently concluded elections. 

    Even Shivpal was made to contest on SP symbol from his traditional Jaswantnagar seat which he won by over 90,000 votes. 

    During the elections, Shivpal failed to hide his discontent when he had claimed that he agreed to contest on SP symbols sacrificing his own party following Mulayam Singh Yadav’s instructions.

    It may be recalled that Akhilesh had reached out to Shivpal ahead of Assembly elections offering him to contest the polls on SP symbol from Jaswantnagar.