News Analysis India

Tag: Uttar Pradesh

  • Criminals will face ‘bulldozer’ after UP polls results: Yogi

    By PTI

    MATHURA: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here on Wednesday warned criminals that they would face the “bulldozer” once the elections results are out.

    Adityanath was addressing a public rally in Tarauli village of Chhatta assembly constituency. “Bulldozer will move against unsocial elements and mafia after March 10,” Adityanath said, apparently referring to the raising of illegally-constructed buildings by criminals.

    He said they will be sent “notices” for their involvement in criminal activities. He also assured that the killers of Ramveer – a village Pradhan who was shot dead last week – will not be spared.

    The CM referred to riots in Kosi Kalan in Mathura and Muzaffarnagar that broke out under the Samajwadi Party government. He alleged Hindus were killed in those riots and property of traders was devastated incited by activists of Samajwadi Party.

    Adityanath said during the SP regime people were implicated in false cases and massive firing was done on “Ram Bhakts”.

    He said the colour of the cap of SP has been stained with their blood. “How astonishing is it that in spite of such acts, they are shamelessly asking people to support them,” he said in his campaign speech in support of UP minister Laxmi Narain Chaudhary.

    ALSO READ: Fielding Yogi Adityanath from Gorakhpur will also help party maintain hold on other seats in region, BJP hopes

    The CM also addressed public meetings in Goverdhan, campaigning for BJP candidate Megh Shyam, and in Mathura where he campaigned for cabinet minister Srikant Sharma. Adityanath also claimed that the third wave of Covid will be over within a week.

    He complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his handling of the pandemic and held responsible massive vaccination for the stemming of the third wave. He said during the peak of Covid he and his fellow party members worked to help people, while “none of the leaders or activists of SP, BSP, or Congress came out of the four walls of their house.”

    He said the UP government is distributing tablets and smartphones among youths to pave the way for their proper online study.

    Adityanath announced that the Chhatta Sugar mill has been green-lighted and funds to that end have also been released. Besides the sugar mill, the farmers of the area will now also be benefited from the purchase of one lakh metric ton potato by PepsiCo, the Chief Minister said.

    He said factories during the SP regime were not established in the area owing to poor law and order as even people were unsafe then.

  • UP polls: Mayawati kicks off BSP campaign from Agra, says BJP, SP and Cong ‘anti-Dalit’

    By PTI

    AGRA: BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday hit out at BJP, SP and Congress for not doing enough for Dalits and asserted that her party has a track record of working for all sections of society as she launched her party’s campaign for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls.

    Terming the rival parties “anti-Dalit”, she said though they make various promises in their manifestos ahead of polls, they forget about them after coming to power.

    Mayawati, who has been conspicuous by her absence from the high-octane campaigning in the state, also said she has been living in Lucknow for a year and working to rebuild the BSP.

    She said some “casteist media groups” are trying to demoralise BSP supporters by saying that their party leaders are missing on the ground.

    The BSP is contesting all 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh. The party has declared names of candidates for the majority of the seats. Targeting the ruling BJP, Mayawati said the party is pursuing the “narrow-minded agendas” of the RSS.

    “Their (BJP) policies are focused on promoting casteist, capitalist, and narrow-minded agendas of the RSS. This has resulted in an environment of religious tension and hate in the state,” she said.

    “People from Dalit and backward communities have not benefitted from the BJP government’s policies, including reservation in government jobs, because it has involved the private sector in most of its projects,” she added.

    “The upper caste also feels neglected under the BJP. The government’s policies have led to price rise and an increased number of people living in poverty. “It appears that the fuel prices will be increased once the elections are over. Youngsters from the state are forced to migrate due to the lack of employment opportunities,” Mayawati said.

    ALSO READ: UP elections: Mayawati launches attack on SP, Congress and BJP in first poll rally in Agra

    The BSP chief claimed the migrants who returned to the state during Covid pandemic were forced to go back due to the lack of employment opportunities in the state. She said the common people in Uttar Pradesh have only suffered under the rule of BJP, Congress, and Samajwadi Party.

    “The BSP, which has worked for the upliftment of people from all sections of society, is the only alternative for good governance,” she added. Mayawati also accused the SP of adopting a “step-motherly” approach towards Dalits and most backward sections of society.

    “After coming to power (in 2012), the SP changed names of districts we had christened after Dalit icons,” she said. “When a bill on reservation in promotion for Dalit officers was brought in Parliament, the SP tore it and did not allow it to get approved,” she claimed.

    The BSP chief said criminals and the mafia flourished under the SP government. The Muzaffarnagar riots also took place during the SP’s tenure.

    Mayawati attacked the Congress over its “hostile” attitude towards Dalits, alleging that its government had denied the Bharat Ratna to B R Ambedkar, who is considered the architect of the Indian Constitution, and to Dalit icon Kanshi Ram.

    ALSO READ: BJP, Samajwadi Party giving casteist colour to Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls: BSP chief Mayawati

    “They (Congress) also did not implement the Mandal Commission report on reservation in government jobs. After a prolonged struggle, the BSP got it implemented when the V P Singh government was in power,” she said.

    Mayawati also targeted the media for building the narrative that BSP leaders were absent on the ground.

     “Some casteist media groups have tried to demoralise our supporters by saying that BSP leaders are missing and not moving anywhere.  I have been living in Lucknow for the last year and have worked to build the party again in Uttar Pradesh. I want to tell the media that I have been busy with election work all this time and the BSP will return with a majority in Uttar Pradesh,” she said.

    Rival parties had on several occasions ruled the BSP “out of the race”. However, Mayawati hit back at them saying they would be proved wrong as had happened in 2007.

    The BSP came to power with a majority in Uttar Pradesh in 2007, proving pre-poll predictions wrong. Mayawati became the chief minister for the fourth time that year.

  • BJP announced list of 17 candidates, no mention of Hriday Narain Dikshit, Swati Singh

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The BJP on Tuesday announced a list of 17 candidates for the Uttar Pradesh polls and did not include Assembly Speaker Hriday Narain Dikshit and minister Swati Singh in it while Brijesh Pathak’s seat was changed.

    The names announced on Tuesday included candidates for all the nine Assembly seats in Lucknow.

    Ashutosh Shukla has been fielded from Bhagwantnagar in Unnao district where Hriday Narain Dikshit is the outgoing MLA.

    Rajrejeshwar Singh, who has taken voluntary retirement after being deputed to the Enforcement Directorate from the Uttar Pradesh police, has been fielded from Sarojini Nagar, the seat of outgoing minister Swati Singh.

    Both Swati Singh and her husband Daya Shankar Singh had been vying for the Sarojini Nagar seat.

    Incumbent Lucknow (central) MLA and minister Brijesh Pathak has been fielded from Lucknow Cantonment, burying speculations of the new entrant in the BJP Aparna Yadav, the daughter-in-law of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, being fielded from there.

    Aparna Yadav had contested from the seat in the previous elections but had faced defeat. According to the BJP’s list, state minister Ashutosh Tandon will contest from his Lucknow east seat.

  • Uttar Pradesh polls: Akhilesh Yadav has family assets worth over Rs 40 crore

    By PTI

    MANIPURI: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, his wife Dimple, and their daughter own assets worth over Rs 40.14 crore, while the couple does not have any vehicle, according to the poll affidavit of the former chief minister.

    Yadav’s rival candidate from the Karhal assembly constituency, the BJP’s SP Singh Baghel, has declared family assets worth Rs 8.75 crore.

    The SP chief’s affidavit also reveals that he owns an exercise machine worth over Rs 5.34 lakh and a phone costing Rs 76,015.

    Yadav, who filed his nomination papers from the Karhal assembly constituency in Mainpuri district on Monday, does not own any firearm, while Baghel has a rifle and a revolver.

    As per the election affidavits of the two leaders, the gross value of assets of Yadav, his wife, and daughter Aditi stands at over Rs 40.14 crore, as compared to over Rs 8.75 crore of SP Singh Baghel and his family — wife Madhu and son Parth.

    Dimple Yadav has a computer worth Rs 1.25 lakh, gold ornaments weighing over 2,774 grams, and diamonds worth Rs 59,76,687, the affidavit said. The Yadav couple does not own any vehicle, according to the affidavit.

    ALSO READ: BJP one short of hitting ‘century’ of candidates facing criminal cases: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

    The total movable assets of Yadav are worth more than Rs 8.43 crore, while that of Dimple is over Rs 4.76 crore.

    The family’s movable assets are worth over Rs 13.30 crore. Yadav has immovable assets worth over Rs 17.22 crore, while Dimple has immovable assets worth over Rs 9.61 crore. The total worth of their immovable assets is over Rs 26.83 crore. The SP chief has a liability of over Rs 28.97 lakh, while his wife has a liability of Rs over 14.26 lakh.

    As per the election affidavit, Yadav has loaned more than Rs 2.13 crore to his father Mulayam Singh Yadav; while Dimple has given over Rs 8.15 lakh to her husband.

    The total movable assets of SP Singh Baghel (and his wife and son) stand at over Rs 84 lakh — Rs 45.94 lakh belongs to Baghel, over Rs 25.91 lakh to Madhu, and more than Rs 12.14 lakh to Parth.

    ALSO READ: Akhilesh Yadav to file nomination from Karhal; says Uttar Pradesh polls to write history of next century

    The total immovable property of the Union minister stands at over Rs 7.91 crore. Currently, the 61-year-old Baghel, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Agra (SC), is the Union Minister of State for Law and Justice.

    Baghel has no liabilities on him, while his wife has a liability of over Rs 63.33 lakh, according to the election affidavit.

    The union minister in his election affidavit has said that he has three cases pending in court against him, while Yadav has one FIR registered against him, and no case is pending against him.

  • Five years ago, rioters and muscle men used to be law unto themselves in Uttar Pradesh: PM Narendra Modi

    PM Narendra Modi targeted the SP, saying five years ago muscle men and rioters used to be the law unto themselves in Uttar Pradesh.

  • Assembly polls: Uttar Pradesh’s ‘Islamabad’ residents gear up to vote for development

    By PTI

    BIJNOR (UTTAR PRADESH): As electioneering is gaining momentum, voters in Islamabad, too, are eagerly waiting for their chance to cast votes, and elect their new representative. This Islamabad has nothing to do with Pakistan’s capital, and is a village in Bijnor district, located approximately 40 km away from the district headquarters.

    It has a population of around 10,000, of which around 4,700 people are eligible to vote. Despite sharing its name with the neighbouring country’s capital, local people say the name ‘Islamabad’ has never been a cause of concern.

    However, they said the village needs developments and that they will vote for a candidate, who they believe, will address their concerns. “I don’t know how the name ‘Islamabad’ came into existence. But this name is in use since the days of my great grandfather,” Vijendra Singh, husband of village pradhan Sarvesh Devi, told PTI.

    When asked whether the name instilled a sense of insecurity among villagers, Singh said, “Never was there any sense of insecurity among the villagers over this issue and never did such a thought cross our minds. This name will continue.”

    Islamabad is largely inhabited by Chauhans, Prajapatis and has a Muslim population of about 400. “All of the people live in peace,” he said. Villagers here cultivate sugarcane, wheat, paddy and groundnut among the other crops, he said.

    On asked what the villagers would consider while casting votes, Singh said the small stretches of roads in the village are ‘kuccha’ and they need to be converted into ‘pucca’ roads. He also said there have been problems in selling paddy to government agencies, but the issue was resolved after the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) intervened.

    “We also want an inter-college so that girls can study here. But we have got no assurance from anyone. These are the issues that we will keep in mind while voting,” Singh, who is also an office-bearer of BKU, the organisation headed by farmer leader Rakesh Tikait, said.

    On asked about the probability of candidates in the constituency, Singh said the poll contest here is three-cornered between BJP’s Sushant Kumar Singh, who is also the sitting MLA, SP’s Kapil Kumar and BSP’s Mohammad Ghazi.

    An advocate and a resident of Islamabad village, 28-year-old Aditya Prajapati said, “We never had any sort of inferiority complex about the name. Yes, there have been a few instances when people in a lighter vein had asked ‘oh you are from Pakistan?’, but it did not go beyond this. None of the youths working outside faced any problems.”

    Mohammed Salman (30), an online trader and a villager, said, “We are living in this village for many generations.” He also said that Islamabad village is “very close” to his heart, and all the residents of the village take the name in a “very positively”.

    Sitting BJP MLA and party candidate from Barhapur Assembly constituency Sushant Kumar Singh told PTI that there were no issues with the name of the village. When asked to comment on the possibility of a name change, he said, “Anything in this regard will be done after the elections.”

    Kapil Kumar, the SP candidate from Barhapur told PTI, “The feeling of fear and concern had never cropped up because of the name Islamabad nor has there been any inferiority complex. The people of the village never demanded a change of name either. This name has continued after Independence.”

    Since coming to power, the Adityanath government has changed the names of several establishments, including those of Faizabad and Allahabad districts. They were renamed as Ayodhya and Prayagraj, respectively The Mughalsarai Railway station was renamed as Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction and the Faizabad Railway station as Ayodhya Cantonment.

    On December 29, the Uttar Pradesh government renamed Jhansi Railway Station as ‘Veerangana Laxmibai Railway Station’. The Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases from February 10 to March 7 and the results will be announced on March 10.

  • Goons roamed freely and there were riots in Uttar Pradesh when SP was in power: Rajnath Singh

    By PTI

    KASGANJ: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said while the BJP has ensured good law and order as well as development in Uttar Pradesh, goons used to roam freely and there were riots when the Samajwadi Party was in power.

    He also said that now goons and the mafia do not get protection, “but bulldozers are run over their illegal properties”.

    “I want to know why riots always happened during the SP’s (Samajwadi Party) government. Why did goons and miscreants roam freely in their regime,” Singh said while campaigning here for next month’s assembly elections in the state. Voting will be held in Kasaganj on February 20 in the third phase of the seven phase polls. Highlighting the achievements of the BJP government in the state, Singh claimed that “not a single riot took place in the five years of the BJP government”.

    The previous government in the state was that of the SP, which was defeated by the BJP in the 2017 assembly polls.

    Lauding the state government for the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, he said that “when the law and order situation is good, development also takes place rapidly”.

    “Today if Uttar Pradesh is witnessing development, then there is better law and order behind it. Now goons, mafia do not get protection, but bulldozers are run over their illegal properties,” he added.

    Singh attacked opposition SP, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress, saying those who get cut from their roots becomes like a kite with broken thread.

    Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he assured voters that “we will do development and also save our heritage”.

    In his address, Singh sought support of voters and asked them to help the BJP in forming a majority government in the state.

  • Journalist held for impersonating Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A freelance journalist was arrested for allegedly impersonating Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and sending forged letters to several public sector units in a bid to obtain advertisements for his newspaper in 2016, police said on Sunday.

    Adityanath was then a Lok Sabha MP from Gorakhpur.

    Accused Manoj Kumar Seth (41) was arrested from his native Bhubaneshwar in Odisha by the Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) unit of Delhi Police’s Special Cell, they said.

    Rajbhushan Singh Rawat, personal secretary to Adityanath, had filed a police complaint alleging that some unknown persons had created a fake email ID using the BJP leader’s credentials.

    According to Rawat, the accused had sent emails and forged letters to public sector units such as Power Grid Corporation of India, ONGC and GAIL India.

    The accused also attached scanned letters with forged signatures of Adityanath.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) KPS Malhotra said during the course of the investigation, the fake email ID [email protected] was identified and its contents were analysed to understand the motive.

    “The alleged email was with a request to release advertisements in favour of an English newspaper. Similarly, fake emails and fake letters were sent to ONGC and GAIL for advertisement support in favour of another newspaper. Through the IP address analysis and human intelligence, we identified the accused as Manoj Kumar Seth,” Malhotra said.

    Police said Seth’s plan had not been successful and that he had been continuously changing his hideouts to evade investigators since then.

    Though several raids were conducted at his possible hideouts, he managed to give the police a slip every time.

    A dedicated team headed by ACP Raman was constituted to nab him, police said.

    “On Friday, Seth was arrested from Bhubaneshwar by our team and during interrogation, he revealed that he is a freelance journalist and also publishes a fortnightly newspaper. He had created the fake email ID and prepared the forged letters to seek advertisement support in favour of his local newspapers,” Malhotra said.

    Seth is also involved in a case of extortion in 2020 at Chaliya Ganj police station in Cuttack on the complaint of an executive engineer of the public works department, Odisha, police said.

  • BJP, Samajwadi Party giving casteist colour to Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls: BSP chief Mayawati

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: BSP president Mayawati on Friday accused the BJP and Samajwadi Party of colluding to give a communal and casteist colour to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. In a tweet, the BSP supremo also cautioned the people against their designs.

    यूपी विधानसभा चुनाव में जिस प्रकार से धर्म व जाति की राजनीति हावी है व मीडिया में भी ऐसी ख़बरें भरी पड़ी रहती हैं उससे ऐसा लगता है कि यह सब सपा व बीजेपी की अन्दरुनी मिलीभगत के तहत ही हो रहा है और वे चुनाव को हिन्दू-मुस्लिम व जातीय नफरती रंग देना चाहती हैं। जनता सतर्क रहे।
    — Mayawati (@Mayawati) January 28, 2022
    “The way religion and caste politics dominate in the UP assembly elections and the media is also full of such news, it seem that all this is happening as SP and BJP are colluding to give the elections colour of hatred on Hindu-Muslim and casteist lines. People need to remain alert,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said.

    ALSO READ| BSP releases list of candidates for fourth phase of polls

    Polls in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases beginning February 10.

  • Good that Yogi Adityanth isn’t BJP’s Ayodhya candidate: Ram Temple chief priest

    By PTI

    AYODHYA: The chief priest of the Ram Temple here on Monday said it is good that Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath is not contesting the state Assembly polls from this seat as he would have faced a lot of opposition.

    When asked why he suggested that Adityanath should not to contest from Ayodhya, Acharya Satyendra Das said he advised this “after asking Ram Lalla (Lord Ram)”.

    Das said that he suggested that Adityanath should contest from Gorakhpur as people whose houses and shops were demolished here due to infrastructure projects in the wake of the construction of the temple were opposing him.

    “It’s good that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is not contesting from here. I had suggested it earlier and advised that it will be better that he contest from any seat of Gorakhpur. I speak after asking Ram Lalla. I spoke with Ram Lalla’s inspiration,” said Das, who is the chief priest of the makeshift Ram Lalla temple, which is being replaced by a grand temple.

    The 84-year-old priest said that the seers here are divided in their opinion and those whose houses and shops were demolished are against him. “All are saying that it’s his work. This opposition is there. I said he better go there (Gorakhpur). He would have won from here but could have faced problems,” the priest said.

    There was a strong buzz in political circles that Adityanath would enter the fray from Ayodhya but the BJP leadership decided to field him from the Gorakhpur (Urban) Assembly segment. About the election mood in Ayodhya, Das said it is not yet clear as all parties have not declared their candidates.

    The priest, however, said the ruling BJP will not let go the Ram temple issue and it will remain on their agenda. “Earlier, there was Ram Lalla andolan, then came the court’s order and the construction of the Ram temple started. This Ram temple issue will never go away. They will say firing was opened here (on ‘kar sewaks’), application was moved in the court to prevent the construction – but the temple construction is on. They will certainly take the name (of Ram temple). This will not go away,” Das said.

    Das hoped to see the completed Ram temple in his lifetime. “Let’s see how many days it takes for the construction to complete. A majority of those who were with me have gone (passed away),” Das said, adding that he will be serving here till his last.

    Das said he joined as the priest of the makeshift Ram Lalla temple in 1992, the year the Babri mosque was demolished.

    When asked if he was present when the mosque was demolished, Das said, “I was there. It happened before me. I was witness to it. Out of three domes, north and south domes were demolished by ‘kar sewaks’. I took Ram Lalla with its throne in my hand. The demolition was over by 5 pm. Later, ‘kar sewaks’ pitched a tent and levelled the place and by 7 pm, I kept Ram Lalla there.”

    When asked whether local politicians have started coming to him to take his blessings, Das said, “Till now, wife of Samajwadi Party leader Pawan Pandey has come to me. He is a strong candidate from the SP.”

    Pawan Pandey had won the 2012 Assembly elections from Ayodhya and was made a minister in the previous Akhilesh Yadav government. In 2017, BJP’s Ved Prakash Gupta won the Ayodhya seat. All five Assembly seats in the district–Ayodhya, Bikapur, Rudauli, Gosaiganj and Milkipur—are held by the BJP now.

    Ayodhya will go to the polls in the fifth phase on February 27.