News Analysis India

Tag: Uttar Pradesh

  • AAP to contest all seats in 2022 Uttar Pradesh polls, not in talks for any alliance: Sanjay Singh

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Asserting that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would contest all 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh, senior leader Sanjay Singh has said it would be a mistake to consider AAP a minnow as it had emerged “stronger” than the Congress in the recent panchayat polls.

    The Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP made it clear that it is not in talks with any other party for an alliance in the Uttar Pradesh assembly election due early next year. “Our party is stronger than the Congress in the state. While the Congress won 40 seats in panchayat polls, we scored a victory in 83 panchayats. AAP got over 40 lakh votes in these polls, where 1600 party candidates contested,” Singh, who is AAP’s UP incharge, told PTI in an interview.

    The Congress was reduced to seven seats in the 2017 election to the 403-member UP Assembly. The AAP had earlier tested poll waters in the 2014 and 2019 Parliamentary elections on some selected seats in UP without any success.

    After coming to power in Delhi, it emerged as the main opposition party in Punjab and has been trying to expand its base in other states like Goa, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal had himself contested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi in 2014 and stood second ahead of the Congress and the Samajwadi party nominees.

    AAP had also contested three seats of Saharanpur, Aligarh and Gautam Budh Nagar in UP but could not do much. “We are preparing to contest on all 403 seats alone. We are presently not in talks for an alliance with any other party. Our focus is to strengthen our base in the state and in the past one and a half months, we have made over one crore members,” Singh said.

    “The party has made Vidhan Sabha incharges in 100-150 seats and our leaders are meeting those who want to contest,” said 49-year-old Singh who hails from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Singh, who is a Rajya Sabha MP, said the main issue to be raised by the AAP in the assembly elections “will be BJP’s nationalism versus AAP’s nationalism”.

    “BJP’s nationalism is fake. Its nationalism is full of hatred and communalism. At the same time, the nationalism of the AAP is providing good education, good health, free electricity,free water, women’s security and happiness,” he said, He hit out at the BJP, claiming it was “afraid” of the AAP’s model of governance and was indulging in vindictive politics.

    “Sixteen cases including that of sedition were filed against me. I got a stay from the Supreme Court in a sedition case. The BJP is doing vindictive politics. Our office here was closed by them. We are facing them strongly,” he said.

    “AAP’s model of governance focuses on education, health, education and providing basic facilities to the poor and needs. Our model is an answer to casteist and communal politics played by the BJP. Providing jobs, unemployment allowance and better prices to farmers are among the issues the party will take up,” Singh said.

    The outcome of the UP assembly polls is considered important as it would reflect on the 2024 general election. The opposition sees an opportunity against the BJP in the bellwether state especially due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    While the SP and BSP have already launched their election campaign to woo various communities, the Congress under the leadership of its General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is sparing no effort to revive the party at the grassroots level.

    Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM, AAP and over a dozen small caste-centric regional parties have also announced that they are entering the ring in the politically significant state. Singh said that they will highlight the “failures” of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during the past four and a half years.

    “We are exposing them at the grassroots level. This government as promised during the polls made ‘Shamshan’ (cremation ground) in every village. In corona pandemic, every village became ‘Shamshan’ and people died without treatment and lack of medicines,” he alleged.

    “The government failed to control crime and criminal activities. Incidents like Hathras and others exposed tall claims on law and order. There are scams galore and even Kumbh and Ram Temple were not spared by scamsters,” he alleged.

    In the BJP regime, the state went “backwards” as they have “no concept of development”, he said adding that without increasing the “purchasing power” of people there will be no economic boost. About the presence of Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM in UP polls and other fronts of smaller parties, Singh said, “Everyone has the right to contest in democracy.”

    Kejriwal, who entered politics after gaining the spotlight during Gandhian Anna Hazare’s movement for the Lokpal legislation, is also spearheading the party’s campaign in neighbouring Uttarakhand, where the AAP is projecting itself as an alternative to the BJP and the Congress.

  • Uttar Pradesh government advertisement with ‘Kolkata flyover’ image sparks fresh TMC-BJP row

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Sunday took strong exception to the use of a purported image of a Kolkata flyover in an Uttar Pradesh government advertisement to project the economic progress of the state under its Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

    Noting that it was yet to be confirmed that the image was that of a Kolkata flyover, West Bengal BJP claimed that while the UP government constructs expressways, flyovers come crashing down under the Mamata Banerjee regime in the eastern state.

    The advertisement titled ‘Transforming Uttar Pradesh under Yogi Adityanath’ showed an image of a flyover painted in blue-and-white colours synonymous with the TMC government along with high-rises and industries juxtaposed below a cut-out of Yogi Adityanath.

    “Before 2017, UP was not taken seriously with regard to investment, but in his four-and-a-half-year rule, that negative perception has been broken and in 2020, it has emerged as the second largest economy in the country,” the message in the advertisement read.

    The Indian Express, which had carried the advertisement, issued a corrigendum saying, “A wrong image was inadvertently included in the cover collage of the advertorial on Uttar Pradesh produced by the marketing department of the newspaper. The error is deeply regretted and the image has been removed in all digital editions of the paper.”

    However, the TMC, left no opportunity to ridicule the BJP over the episode, claiming that the saffron party has now indirectly accepted the “development spree” under the Mamata Banerjee government and even tried to appropriate it.

    Transforming UP for @myogiadityanath means stealing images from infrastructure seen in Bengal under @MamataOfficial’s leadership and using them as his own!Looks like the ‘DOUBLE ENGINE MODEL’ has MISERABLY FAILED in BJP’s strongest state and now stands EXPOSED for all! https://t.co/h9OlnhmGPw
    — Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) September 12, 2021
    “Transforming UP for @myogiadityanath means stealing images from infrastructure seen in Bengal under @MamataOfficial’s leadership and using them as his own! Looks like the ‘DOUBLE ENGINE MODEL’ has MISERABLY FAILED in BJP’s strongest state and now stands EXPOSED for all!” TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee tweeted.

    “Mr.@narendramodi is so helpless to save his party that other than changing CMs, he has also had to resort to using pictures of growth & infrastructure seen under @MamataOfficial’s leadership, as his own. #BengalModel > #BJPRuledStatesModel Mr Modi?” Mukul Roy, who has returned to the TMC after winning a West Bengal assembly seat on a BJP ticket, tweeted.

    Mr. @narendramodi is so helpless to save his party that other than changing CMs, he has also had to resort to using pictures of growth & infrastructure seen under @MamataOfficial’s leadership, as his own.#BengalModel > #BJPRuledStatesModel Mr Modi? pic.twitter.com/USNOjrq03I
    — Mukul Roy (@MukulR_Official) September 12, 2021
    State Transport Minister Firhad Hakim said, “By posting the image of our pride Maa flyover of Kolkata as one built in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP government in the northern state has touched a new low of falsehood. It also indirectly admitted the spree of development under the rule of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal and tried to appropriate it as its own.”

    The West Bengal BJP tried to save face saying that even if the image was indeed that of Maa flyover, the TMC government does not have any other infrastructural development to flaunt. “Several expressways have been built under the Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh. In comparison, West Bengal has witnessed several flyover collapses in the last few years. It is yet to be confirmed whether the image is that of Maa flyover as claimed by the TMC. But their knee-jerk reaction to the advertisement proves they don’t have anything else to flaunt. Even if it is indeed the image of Maa flyover, it was nothing but a mistake and does not take away Adityanath’s credit for accelerating UP’s growth,” West Bengal BJP general secretary Sayantan Basu said.

  • Increase sugarcane prices, double PM KISAN funds: BJP MP Varun Gandhi writes to Uttar Pradesh CM

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Seeking various relief measures for farmers in Uttar Pradesh, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Sunday wrote to state Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath demanding substantial rise in sugarcane prices, bonus on wheat and paddy, doubling the amount of PM KISAN scheme and subsidy on diesel.

    Gandhi, a three-term MP from Uttar Pradesj, has been advocating for re-engaging with protesting farmers to reach a common ground. In the two page letter to Adityanath, the Pilibhit MP listed out all the problems and demands of the farmers and at the same time also suggested solutions for the same.

    किसानों की बुनियादी समस्याओं को इंगित करता मेरा पत्र उत्तर प्रदेश के माननीय मुख्यमंत्री श्री योगी आदित्यनाथ जी के नाम, उम्मीद है कि भूमिपुत्रों की बात ज़रूर सुनी जाएगी; pic.twitter.com/4rw8AduP0y
    — Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) September 12, 2021
    Tagging the letter on his Twitter handle, Gandhi said he has written to Adityanath indicating the problems of the farmers. “I hope issues of the sons of the soil will be heard,” he tweeted in Hindi.

    In the letter, Gandhi suggested increasing the sugarcane selling price to Rs 400 per quintal that is currently fixed at Rs 315 per quintal in Uttar Pradesh. Cane is mainly grown in western UP, which is the epicentre of the farmers’ protest in the state against the Centre’s farm laws.

    Farmers should be given additional bonus of Rs 200 per quintal above the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat and paddy, Gandhi said in the letter. He also demanded that the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme should be doubled to Rs 12,000 per annum for farmers with the state government contributing Rs 6,000 from its own funds.

    The PM KISAN scheme is an initiative by the Centre through which all farmers will get up to Rs 6,000 per year as minimum income support.

    Sharing the farmers’ concern of high prices of electricity and diesel, Gandhi in the letter requested the UP Chief Minister to give subsidy of Rs 20 per litre on diesel to farmers and reduce the power prices with immediate effect.

    Earlier on September 5, when large number of farmers gathered in Muzaffarnagar for a mahapanchayt organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha against the three farm laws, Gandhi had said the government should re-engage with them to reach common ground as they are “our own flesh and blood”.

    “Lakhs of farmers have gathered in protest today in Muzaffarnagar. They are our own flesh and blood. We need to start re-engaging with them in a respectful manner: understand their pain, their point of view and work with them in reaching common ground,” Gandhi had tweeted by posting a video of the large crowd in attendance.

    The mahapanchyat was held ahead of the crucial UP assembly polls early next year. The farmers have been protesting against the three farm laws at the borders of the national capital. Several rounds of discussions were also held between the representatives of protesting farmers’ unions and Union ministers but talks have remained inconclusive.

    The Centre has been insisting that the reforms have given farmers new opportunity to sell their produce and rejected the criticism that the laws are aimed at doing away with the MSP regime and agricultural markets.

  • Priyanka holds marathon meetings with Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday held marathon meetings with party office-bearers here and said their views will be crucial in the distribution of tickets for next year’s Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.

    Exhorting partymen to work round the clock for the polls, Gandhi said a strong Congress organisation is equally important for nation building. The party also told prospective candidates to submit applications by September 26, a party leader said.

    On a visit to the state to review the poll preparations, Gandhi held meetings with Congress leaders and office-bearers, taking reports from districts and city presidents, state secretaries, general secretary and state vice-presidents, a party spokesperson said.

    Gandhi also held zone-wise meetings with office-bearers, the spokesperson said, adding that brainstorming sessions up to the block, wards and panchayat level were held to map out the election strategy.

    Gandhi said a strong organisation is equally important for nation building, the spokesperson said, adding she also took feedback from the office-bearers on all important issues ahead of the upcoming elections.

    Gandhi, who has been working towards strengthening the party to make it election ready, stressed on the importance of a strong organisation, the party spokesperson said.

    As the elections to the Uttar Pradesh assembly are very near, Congress party workers need to work day and night, she told partymen.

    On the issue of ticket distribution, she said office-bearers of the organisation will play an important role in deciding the names of candidates for the next year’s elections, according to the spokesperson. The Congress leader said the organisational work is at the last stage.

    Gandhi had arrived here on Thursday evening and is scheduled to visit Rae Bareli, the parliamentary constituency of her mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, for two days beginning Sunday during which she will hold meetings with party workers, leaders and people.

    During the zone-wise review meeting with party leaders earlier on Saturday, the Congress leader discussed several issues, including the farmers’ protest over the three agriculture laws.

    In a statement, the party said deliberations were held on the poll strategy for western UP and Gandhi sought reports from every village. The farmers’ protest over the three agriculture laws also came up for discussions, the statement said.

    Thousands of farmers from Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states had gathered at Muzaffarnagar on Sunday for a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’, months ahead of the crucial UP assembly polls.

    The event was organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) at the Government Inter College ground in Muzaffarnagar to protest the Centre’s three farm laws.

    On Friday, the Congress decided to take out a 12,000 km-long yatra through villages and towns of Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Assembly polls.

    The decision to take out the yatra was taken at a meeting presided over by Gandhi and attended by members of the party’s advisory and strategy committee.

    The yatra will draw attention of people to issues of corruption, inflation, crime, violence against women, unemployment and poor health services, the party said on Friday.

  • Uttar Pradesh man gets 20 years in jail for raping mentally unsound woman

    By PTI

    MATHURA: A court here has sentenced a 47-year-old man to 20 years in jail for raping an 18-year-old mentally unsound woman whose mother used to occasionally hire his services as a driver, a government counsel said Saturday.

    Additional district government counsel Subhash Chaturvedi also said the court imposed a fine of Rs 2.20 lakh on the convict and ordered that he will have to spend additional time in jail if he fails to furnish the amount.

    The ADGC said the incident happened past midnight on July 9, 2018, when the woman’s mother and her two relatives were carrying out Goverdhan Parikrama (circumambulation).

    The woman was also walking with them in the religious exercise, but she returned to their car as she felt tired.

    All of them, including the driver, had travelled to Mathura from their native Etawah in the car that belonged the woman’s mother.

    When the woman arrived at the car, the driver was there.

    The ADGC said the driver raped her inside the car and also took her mobile phone.

    The victim later narrated the entire incident to her mother and they confronted the driver, who confessed his guilt on July 11, 2018, the ADGC said.

    The woman’s mother then filed an FIR at the Mahila Thana (women police station) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

    IPC section 376 (rape) was also added later based on the woman’s statement.

    “The order passed by Amar Singh, additional special judge POCSO Act, has sentenced Raghavendra Tewari to imprisonment of 20 years with a fine of Rs 2.20 lakh,” Chaturvedi said.

    The special Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act court is also hearing cases of crime against women.

    The defense counsel urged the judge to show leniency in awarding the punishment, saying the convict had to marry his two daughters.

    However, the ADGC requested the judge to award the accused exemplary punishment as he had raped a mentally unsound woman.

    The judge awarded him 20 years in jail and imposed Rs 2.20 lakh fine, saying he will have to spend five more years in prison if he fails to deposit the fine.

    In that case, the government will give the amount to the victim’s family as compensation, the ADGC said.

  • Four cops suspended for allegedly trying to shield cow slaughter accused in Uttar Pradesh

    By PTI

    FATEHPUR: Four police personnel have been suspended for allegedly trying to shield a cow-slaughter accused here, an official said Saturday.

    Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh said the action against the four policemen — sub-inspectors Shami Ashraf and Aneesh Kumar Singh, head constable Manoj Kumar and constable Rajesh Tiwari — followed a complaint by villagers and a probe a circle officer.

    He said the four allegedly tried to shield Haidar, an accused in a cow slaughter case in Khakhreru police station area.

    The alleged cow slaughter incident happened Thursday.

    The SP said the policemen were suspended after the allegations against them were found to be true in a probe conducted by circle officer (city) Sanjay Singh.

  • Suspecting extramarital affair, Uttar Pradesh man throws acid on wife

    By PTI

    GORAKHPUR: A woman and her two daughters suffered burn injuries when her husband, who suspected her of having an extramarital affair, threw acid at them in the Kundraghat area here on Friday, police said.

    The woman and her elder daughter are undergoing treatment at a hospital and their condition is stated to be critical. The younger daughter was discharged after first aid, they said.

    Police said they took the accused, identified as Ajay Sahini, into custody. Sahini is a tailor and as per locals a habitual drinker. He suspected his wife of having an extramarital affair and the couple had been arguing over it for the past two days.

    On Friday afternoon, Sahini threw acid at his wife and the elder daughter and fled the place, the police said. The younger daughter who was sitting nearby also sustained injuries, they added.

    “On information of locals, a police vehicle rushed the injured to a hospital where they are undergoing treatment. Police have detained the accused and instructions have been given to Cant police to take action after registering a case against him,” Senior Superintendent of Police Vipin Tada said. The couple also has a son and he works in Mumbai, police said.

  • Amid dengue and viral fever cases, UP launches door-to-door drive to combat vector-borne diseases

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In order to combat water-borne diseases spreading with the receding floodwaters, the UP government launched a statewide surveillance drive from Tuesday. Under the drive, health officials will conduct a door-to-door survey to identify people with viral fever, Covid symptoms, and other diseases arising out of the seasonal vagaries.

    Uttar Pradesh has been in the grip of vector-borne diseases like dengue and viral fever which have claimed hundreds of lives so far in different districts with Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etah, Mathura, Kanpur, Agra, Gonda, being the prominent ones.

    On the other, around 66 teams of NDRF and SDRF along with Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) have been kept on high alert 24X7 across the sensitive flood-prone districts to minimize the impact of swollen rivers. These teams are working round the clock to mitigate the impact of floods in affected villages.

    To tackle the menace of vector-borne diseases, including viral fever and dengue, COVID-19 dedicated beds equipped with oxygen have been reserved for the treatment of inflicted patients.

    ALSO READ | UP exports up by 152.67% in April-May this year, ranked sixth among major exporting states

    According to health officials, arrangements have been made for additional beds, doctors, paramedical staff, medicines, and other equipment in the hospitals. In this regard, a 100-bed hospital has been ready in Shikohabad municipal area in Firozabad district which has been the worst affected so far.

    Moreover, to tackle the spread of infection, CM Yogi Adityanath has issued directives to health authorities against admitting unnecessary patients in the OPDs/IPDs of hospitals.

    “Make sure patients’ health updates are given to the family members at regular intervals. Patients and their relatives should be contacted through the CM Helpline too,” CM Yogi told the dealing authorities.

    The health teams have also been directed to spray anti-larva medicines and undertake fogging drives in the areas where more than one dengue patient is found.

    People are being sensitized to take precautionary measures and check mosquito breeding in and around their houses.

    Meanwhile, the state government has appointed nodal officers in every district to monitor the relief work in the areas affected by floods and heavy rains.

    Directives have been issued to ensure the supply of pure drinking water and distribute chlorine tablets in the flood-affected districts. Till now, around 22 lakh tablets of chlorine have been distributed in flood-affected areas.

  • UP exports up by 152.67% in April-May this year, ranked sixth among major exporting states

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh has logged a respectable rise of 152.67% in exports in the current financial year as compared to 2020 ranking at number six among states, says the data released by the Centre on exports from various states.

    According to official data, UP exported goods worth Rs 21,500.85 crore in April and May this year, up 152.67% as compared to the export of goods worth Rs 8,511.34 crore in the same period in 2020.

    As per the state government sources, during the pandemic, leather goods, textile and glassware were exported across the globe. “Today, there is a huge demand for a wide range of products abroad from Uttar Pradesh. There are niche markets for certain products of UP in different countries,” said a senior official.

    In view of the rising trend and for further promotion of exports, the MSME department is set to establish ‘Overseas Trade Promotion and Facilitation Centres’ across 75 districts of the state. Moreover, a centralised facilitation centre for better coordination among centres in the districts will be set up inLucknow.As per the state government spokesman, the trade promotion centres in each district are likely to increase the worth of exports by at least Rs 400 crore besides creating employment opportunities to for about 4,000 people.

    The central data put Uttar Pradesh at sixth rank among the major exporting states. UP ranks after Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

    ALSO READ | Uttar Pradesh polls: Congress asks BJP, BSP, SP to project Brahmin CM face to prove love for community

    At the same time, Uttar Pradesh is ahead of many states such as Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

    The main goods which set the state’s export trajectory upward this year included carpets, rugs, fabric, oven fabric, man-made staple fabric, footwear, glassware, iron, steel, aluminium, rice, sugar, milk, flour, plastic products, silk and artificial flowers.

    Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries of South-East Asia have been the major customers of a large number of ODOP products from UP during the pandemic.

    Footwear and toy exports shot up from Rs 147.04 crore and Rs 26.19 crore in April-May last year to Rs 742.47 crore and Rs 120.83 crore respectively, this year. Similarly, glassware exports rose from Rs 39.99 crore during the same period last year to Rs 310.77 crore this year.

    Further, carpets and textile fabrics worth Rs 744.15 crore were exported this year as against Rs 247.63 crore, last year. The export of leather products also saw a massive increase from Rs 79.21 crore last year to Rs 493.80 crore this year.

    The proposed Overseas Trade Promotion and Facilitation Centres are expected to increase the value of exports from 25 districts known as export centres of the state by Rs 250 crore, providing direct and indirect employment to 2,500 people.

    Besides, there will be an additional export of goods worth Rs 125 crore from 25 less important districts in terms of export through those centres. Around 1,250 people will get jobs in the less important export districts. However, in the remaining 25 districts, the worth of exports is likely to go up by Rs 25 crore while the centres will provide employment to 250 persons, claimed the state government sources.

  • Congress to bring law against lynching if voted to power in Uttar Pradesh

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The Congress will prepare a proposal for bringing a law against mob lynching and send it to the President if voted to power in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the party said Monday.

    National chairman of Congress’ Minorities Department, Imran Pratapgarhi, said the party resolved to set up a legal cell in its minorities department for solving problems of the minority community through legal means.

    Pratapgarhi said this while addressing the ‘Parivartan Sankalp Sammelan’, organised by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee Minorities Department.

    State Chairman of the Minorities department Shahnawaz Alam, in his address, said if Congress came to power, it would make a law against mob lynching.

    A 16-point resolution was also issued on the occasion which said that the Congress would withdraw cases registered during the anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests and give compensation.

    All the riots that took place during the regime of Samajwadi Party in the state would also be investigated, it said.

    National Secretary and joint in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, Dheeraj Gurjar stressed on the importance of becoming a partner in the real development of the state.

    Congress is “the only party”, which can give momentum to the pace of development, he said.

    People of all religions can remain safe, Gurjar said, adding that when people of all castes and religions stand together under the flag of Congress, Uttar Pradesh would be able to become ‘Uttam Pradesh’.

    UPCC president, Ajay Kumar Lallu, who presided over the conference said only Congress was raising the voice of the people and their interests.