SP chief Akhilesh Yadav shared footage of police misbehaving with voters at booth 318. In the Kundarki constituency, SP candidate Hazi Rizwan lodged complaints of police misconduct, alleging voter intimidation and physical assault on polling agents. Additionally, voters in Kanpur’s Sisamau Assembly constituency reported being forcibly stopped by police.

In response to the Yadav’s X post and allegation sparked surfaced on social media against the Police personnel, Police Commissionerate Kanpur Naga informed Akhilesh Yadav around 1 p.m. that, “The tweet has been acknowledged. The concerned sub-inspectors have been suspended, and all personnel have been instructed to ensure full compliance with the election process.”

ट्वीट का संज्ञान लिया गया है। संबंधित उपनिरीक्षकगण को निलंबित कर दिया गया है एवं सभी को चुनाव प्रक्रिया का पूर्ण पालन सुनिश्चित करने हेतु निर्देशित किया गया है। @Uppolice @DMKanpur

— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE KANPUR NAGAR (@kanpurnagarpol) November 20, 2024

Interestingly, the alert and assertive behaviour by the opposition Samajwadi Party also drew a similar response from the Moradabad Police

.@DMMoradabad एव #SSP_MoradabadPolice @satpal_IPS द्वारा कुंदरकी विधानसभा उप-निर्वाचन में ज्यादा से ज्यादा मतदान करने हेतु मतदताओ से अपील की गयी तथा प्राप्त शिकायतो के आधार पर कर्मियो के विरुद्ध आवश्यक कार्यवाही की जा रही है। उक्त संबंध मे @DMMoradabad एवं #SSP मुरादाबाद की बाईट। pic.twitter.com/bZKnxytjzu

— MORADABAD POLICE (@moradabadpolice) November 20, 2024

Meerapur Assembly Constituency (UP)

At 9:22 AM on Wednesday, the Samajwadi Party (SP) raised serious concerns regarding the ongoing by-polls in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district, specifically in the Meerapur Assembly Constituency. Through its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the party claimed that police officers were obstructing voters at booths 178 and 179 in Kithoda, within the Meerapur assembly constituency. According to the party, voters were being prevented from casting their ballots, despite having valid voting slips and ID cards.

The party called on the Election Commission to intervene, urging it to take immediate action to ensure a free and fair voting process. The allegations add to growing concerns of electoral irregularities as voting continues in the region.

मुजफ्फरनगर की मीरापुर विधानसभा के किथोड़ा में बूथ संख्या 178, 179 पर पुलिस द्वारा मतदाताओं को वोट डालने से रोका जा रहा है।

संज्ञान ले चुनाव आयोग, निष्पक्ष मतदान सुनिश्चित हो।@ecisveep @ceoup @DmMuzaffarnagar pic.twitter.com/u9QUq2Pov1

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) November 20, 2024

However, multiple videos circulating on the social media platform X show that Muslim voters were and are being prevented from casting their votes. In the footage, voters can be seen holding their voting slips and ID cards, but police personnel are reportedly blocking their access to the polling booths.

चुनाव आयोग @ECISVEEP @ceoup धृतराष्ट्र नहीं बल्कि बेईमान है ,चुनावी युद्ध में कौरवों की तरफ यानी भाजपा की पक्षधरी कर रहा

भाजपा चुनाव आयोग से बेईमानी करवा रही और चुनाव आयोग बेईमानी कर रहा ,अब भी किसी को कोई शक है क्या कि चुनाव निष्पक्ष होंगे ? ये बेईमानी साजिश नाकाम होगी एक दिन… pic.twitter.com/OVWIzPTRVo

— SamajwadiPartyMediaCell (@MediaCellSP) November 20, 2024

SP Kundarki candidate Moh. Rizwan confronts police over voter checks

In Kundarki, Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party candidate Hazi Rizwan confronted police officers who were checking voter IDs and slips at a barricade near a polling booth. Rizwan also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging police misconduct, including assaulting polling agents and obstructing voters, particularly in Milak Sikri.

In #UttarPradesh‘s #Moradabad, #SamajwadiParty candidate #HaziRizwan confronting cops over latter checking voting slips and IDs of voters at a police barricade put up ahead of the polling booth.

Polling underway at a total of 9 UP seats including #Kundarki in Moradabad. pic.twitter.com/F3Diyg6sm1

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) November 20, 2024

Rizwan also complained to the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that police personnel are physically assaulting their polling agents in the area. The candidate claims that the police’s actions are aimed at disrupting the election process and intimidating the party’s agents during the polling.

Kundarki SP candidate Mohammed Rizwan complains to ECI that police is beating their polling agents in Kundarki.

SP’s Ramgopal Yadav is claiming that BJP is winning seats only due to intimidation tactics in UP bypolls.

— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) November 20, 2024

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Haji Mohd Rizwan (@mohdrizwanmla)

SP candidate Rizwan has raised the allegations of police misconduct during the ongoing by-polls, particularly at village Milak Sikri, where polling booths 306 and 307 in the Kundarki assembly constituency are located.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Haji Mohd Rizwan (@mohdrizwanmla)

Shockingly, voters in Kundarki have alleged that polling booth officials are asking them which party they voted for. Those pressing the Samajwadi Party’s cycle button claim they are being treated rudely by the administration and, in some cases, are being denied the right to vote altogether.

UP में आज 9 सीटों पर उपचुनाव हैं
ये तस्वीरें कुंदरकी विधानसभा की हैं
वोटरों का आरोप है कि पर्ची होने के बाद भी उन्हें वोट नहीं डालने दिया जा रहा है…
⁦@SpokespersonECI⁩ ⁦@TheRedMike⁩ #UPBypolls pic.twitter.com/VdPJONBN1E

— Saurabh shukla (@Saurabh_Unmute) November 20, 2024

Rizwan claimed that SP supporters and other voters were subjected to extreme police atrocities, with reports of intimidation and obstruction. According to the candidate, the local administration was actively preventing and threatening Samajwadi Party supporters from exercising their right to vote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Haji Mohd Rizwan (@mohdrizwanmla)

Sishamau Assembly Constituency (UP)

Also, reports from Kanpur’s Sishamau Assembly constituency, particularly in Chamnaganj Ward 107, alleged that voters are being forcibly prevented by the police and administration from casting their votes.

कानपुर सीसामऊ विधानसभा चमनगंज वार्ड 107 वोटरों को जबरन पुलिस प्रशासन वोट नहीं डालने दे रही है वापस भेज दे रही है #UPByelection2024#UPByPoll pic.twitter.com/1coqYLFthi

— Gyan Prakash Yadav #INDIA (@Gyanpra65533145) November 20, 2024

SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav questions ECI over the allegation

SP Chief and MP Akhilesh Yadav strongly criticised the Election Commission (ECI) for its failure to prevent electoral irregularities during the ongoing by-elections. He demanded that the ECI ensure that the administration does not discourage voters. He emphasised that if the Election Commission truly exists to uphold democratic processes, it should intervene immediately to prevent the police from unnecessarily checking voter IDs, blocking roads, or seizing voter IDs. He expressed concern about voters being threatened with jail for possessing legitimate IDs, calling such actions an act of intimidation aimed at suppressing votes.

Yadav further criticized the slowdown of the voting process and urged the ECI to take immediate action to speed up the process, extend voting hours if necessary, and prevent the waste of voters’ time. He condemned the administration for not staying neutral and representing the government’s power, instead acting in favour of certain parties. He also demanded that real-time action be taken against corrupt officials, ensuring that any electoral malpractice captured on video is addressed swiftly.

अगर निर्वाचन आयोग का कोई जीता-जागता अस्तित्व है तो वो जीवंत होकर, प्रशासन के द्वारा वोटिंग को हतोत्साहित करने के लिए तुरंत सुनिश्चित करे:

– लोगों की आईडी पुलिस चेक न करे।
– ⁠रास्ते बंद न किये जाएं।
– ⁠वोटर्स के आईडी ज़ब्त न किये जाएं।
– ⁠असली आईडी को नक़ली आईडी बताकर जेल… pic.twitter.com/4Qddtlgc19

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) November 20, 2024

Kanpur Commissionerate orders suspension of police personnel who stopped voters

In response to the Yadav’s X post and allegation sparked surfaced on social media against the Police personnel, Police Commissionerate Kanpur Naga informed the Akhilesh Yadav that, “The tweet has been acknowledged. The concerned sub-inspectors have been suspended, and all personnel have been instructed to ensure full compliance with the election process.”

ट्वीट का संज्ञान लिया गया है। संबंधित उपनिरीक्षकगण को निलंबित कर दिया गया है एवं सभी को चुनाव प्रक्रिया का पूर्ण पालन सुनिश्चित करने हेतु निर्देशित किया गया है। @Uppolice @DMKanpur

— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE KANPUR NAGAR (@kanpurnagarpol) November 20, 2024

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Counting of votes and post-counting remedies to the victim candidates of a tainted election process

ECI faces ire over lack of transparency and discrepancy in poll data, the poll body dismisses the allegations in a detailed response

The post UP by-elections: Reports of serious disturbances and disruption of voters appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Yadav, speaking to the media in Lucknow on the evening of October 17, questioned why there was no police presence at such a large event and whether the administration was truly unaware of the brewing tension. “This is a failure of the Bahraich administration and the government,” he said, adding that despite the government’s claims of zero tolerance, this incident points to a deeper malaise within law enforcement. As per the report of ThePrint, Yadav further alleged that the BJP was implementing a ‘divide and rule’ strategy reminiscent of British colonial tactics to stoke communal divisions for political gain.

Yadav also brought attention to reports that a journalist who captured the initial outbreak of violence was attacked by BJP workers, hinting at attempts to suppress coverage. “If they are beating journalists or sending them to jail under false pretences, one can only imagine what they are trying to hide,” he remarked, promising that his party would ensure justice for the victims’ families.

Rising threats to press freedom: Targeting of journalists in Bahraich and beyond

The violence in Bahraich also highlights a disturbing trend of attacks on journalists in Uttar Pradesh and across India. The National Alliance of Journalists (NAJ) and Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ) recently voiced concerns about the increasing instances of threats and assaults on reporters. They specifically condemned the targeting of Muslim journalists in Bahraich by BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi, who inflamed tensions by questioning the impartiality of 13 Muslim reporters covering the violence. (Detailed report may be read here.)

Tripathi, a former media advisor to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, took to social media platform X to single out these journalists, insinuating that their religious identity affected their reporting. While journalists from various religious backgrounds were covering the same event, Tripathi’s selective targeting of Muslims has raised alarm about the rising communal rhetoric surrounding journalism. The NAJ and DUJ condemned this divisive labelling of journalists, asserting that professionals should not be judged by their religious affiliation but by their commitment to truthful reporting.

 Broader crackdown on journalists: Telangana arrest and The Caravan’s show-cause notice

The targeting of journalists is not limited to Bahraich, Utta Pradesh. The NAJ and DUJ also condemned the arrest of Telugu Scribe journalist Gowtham Pothagoni in Telangana. Pothagoni was arrested seven months after posting a video featuring a farmer praising former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and criticising the current administration. The journalist now faces multiple FIRs, including charges of attempting to incite public unrest. The media organisations have called for the immediate withdrawal of these charges, stating that Pothagoni was merely performing his journalistic duties by documenting public opinion.

Adding to these concerns is the recent action against The Caravan, a magazine known for its critical journalism. The Press Council of India (PCI) issued a show-cause notice to the magazine regarding its story titled “Screams from the Army Post”, which documented the alleged torture and deaths of civilians by Indian Army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. Although the story had been taken down following an order from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), the PCI’s notice came seven months after the fact, raising concerns about the PCI’s role in enforcing government censorship rather than protecting press freedom.

Defending journalistic integrity: NAJ and DUJ’s call for unity

In response to these troubling developments, the NAJ and DUJ have called for greater solidarity among journalists to defend press freedom. They emphasised that journalism must remain a pillar of democracy and urged the Press Council of India to uphold its mandate to protect, not suppress, journalistic freedom. The organisations expressed concern that press freedom in India is increasingly under threat, as evidenced by the PCI’s overreach and the attacks on journalists in states like Uttar Pradesh and Telangana.

“The PCI cannot serve as a government censor,” the NAJ and DUJ said, underscoring the need for the body to prioritise the public interest over political pressure. They also highlighted that journalists play a crucial role in ensuring accountability and transparency in governance, and any attempt to silence them only undermines democratic values. In their concluding remarks, they reiterated the need for a unified front to protect the dignity, safety, and working conditions of journalists across the country.

The complete statement is as follows:

DUJ-NAJ Condemns Increasing Attacks on Journalists and expresses grave concern at the notice by the Press Council of India to independent and critical magazine ‘The Caravan’ regarding the story ‘screams from the army post’. #FreedomOfPress pic.twitter.com/sHlocKqjxU

— Delhi Union of Journalists (@DUJ1949) October 17, 2024

Related:

Supreme Court grants interim protection from arrest to UP journalist

Editors’ Guild of India warns of rising threats to journalists under new criminal laws in letter addressed to Home Minister Amit Shah

FIR filed by UP police against 2 journalists, 3 others for putting out social media posts on an incident of alleged mob lynching of a Muslim

NAJ, DUJ, APWJF Welcome Bail to Journalists

The post SP chief Akhilesh Yadav alleges state-sponsored violence in Bahraich, UP, brings attention to the attack on journalist who captured the initial outbreak of violence appeared first on SabrangIndia.

SP national president Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet on X, “Ghosi has not only made the SP candidate win but it also is the victory of the INDIA coalition candidate. And now this will be the outcome of the approaching tomorrow (2024).”

Over two dozen ministers along with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had campaigned for Chauhan in the bypoll, following reports of discontent among the public over Chauhan’s frequent party-hopping.

Of the nearly 4.38 lakh voters in Ghosi, 90,000 are Muslims, 60,000 dalits and 77,000 from the “upper castes” — 45,000 bhumihars, 16,000 rajputs and 6,000 brahmins, according to estimates.

Besides the Congress and the Left parties, SP’s Singh, who was taking on Chauhan, also has the support of INDIA bloc members Aam Aadmi Party, the CPI(ML)-Liberation and the Suheldev Swabhiman Party (SSP) — a splinter group of the SBSP.

Speaking with NewsClick, Sannu Azmi, a senior journalist in Ghosi, said despite over two dozen ministers, including two deputy chief ministers, senior BJP leaders and office-bearers, campaigning for nearly two weeks in the constituency, moving from one village to another and canvassing for the party candidate, the saffron party lost the seat with a big margin.

“Dara Singh Chauhan was never in the fight. There are multiple reasons behind the defeat. First, during urban body polls, BJP fielded Ajay Rai for the post of chairperson from Mau who had left Bahujan Samaj Party three years ago to join BJP due to which there was palpable anger among party workers. Kumar lost the election by 40,000 votes to BSP candidate Arshad Jamal. Mau is also the hometown of UP energy minister AK Sharma. The party high command did not learn from its previous mistake and repeated the same in the bypoll and fielded another parachute candidate, Dara Singh Chauhan, who crossed over to the saffron party from SP,” he said, explaining the people’s discontent.

Talking about another local aspect of the saffron party’s defeat, Azmi said, “Local BJP leaders distanced themselves from campaigning for Chauhan and there was anger against Om Prakash Rajbhar (of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party) as he would have immediately taken credit for the victory if BJP had won the election. Furthermore, the core supporters of BJP did not step out to use their franchise.”

When asked about who the dalit could have voted for since the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has not fielded any candidate, Azmi said that vote percentage was less than the last election but after analysing the trend, it seems the SP captured 50-60% dalit votes.

The Ghosi bypoll was a prestige issue for BJP, as it had lost the seat in the 2022 Assembly elections. Chauhan had then defeated BJP candidate Vijay Kumar Rajbhar. Now, with Chauhan back in the BJP camp, the party made an all-out effort to wrest the seat that it won in the 2017 Assembly elections but could not succeed.

Polling in Ghosi constituency was held on Tuesday. The campaign witnessed verbal sparring between SP and the BJP, accusing each other of breach of the model code of conduct. Akhilesh Yadav and his party accused the security forces of acting at the behest of the ruling party and allowing Muslim voters to use their franchise, as reported by NewsClick.

Chauhan had wrested the seat from BJP whose Phagu Chauhan won it for the party in the 2017 Assembly polls. Post Chauhan’s nomination as governor of Bihar in 2019, Vijay Rajbhar ensured that BJP continued to occupy the seat in the bypolls that followed.

In the 2022 Assembly elections, the current BJP candidate, Chauhan, had defeated then BJP’s Vijay Kumar Rajbhar by a margin of 22,216 votes. Ghosi recorded a polling percentage of 58.59% this time.

Commenting on SP’s victory, Haji Ghufran, a Communist Party of India (CPI) leader in Ghosi, told NewsClick, “The administration and ruling party ministers terrorise the minority community so much that people made up their minds to vote against BJP.”

The CPI leader believes the “wave of change” has started from Ghosi and the effect will be visible in Lok Sabha polls in 2024.

Courtesy: Newsclick

The post Ghosi Bypoll: Sudhakar Singh’s Victory not Only SP’s Win but INDIA’s too, Says Akhilesh appeared first on SabrangIndia.

An as yet unidentified “officer” has reportedly been suspended following the “EVM Chori” allegation video posted by Akhilesh Yadav. However, some Election Commission sources have indicated to NDTV that the official could be Varanasi Additional District Magistrate NK Singh. As this is a breaking news story, more details are awaited, and copy shall be updated once information is verified. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav’s had accused Uttar Pradesh government of ‘stealing’ Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) when a truck carrying the machines was caught on video on March 8, just two days ahead of vote counting on March 10. Opposition parties and allies had then demanded the removal of District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma.

Even on March 7, when polling was conducted for the last phase of Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh, serious allegations were made and even viral videos emerged of self-confession by political workers saying “at least 200 EVMs have been changed… arrangements will be made overnight.” By March 8, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had dropped the biggest allegation yet. 

वाराणसी में EVM पकड़े जाने का समाचार उप्र की हर विधानसभा को चौकन्ना रहने का संदेश दे रहा है।

मतगणना में धांधली की कोशिश को नाकाम करने के लिए सपा-गठबंधन के सभी प्रत्याशी और समर्थक अपने-अपने कैमरों के साथ तैयार रहें।

युवा लोकतंत्र व भविष्य की रक्षा के लिए मतगणना में सिपाही बने!

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 8, 2022

लिख रहा हूँ ये सोचकर कि शायद जागेगा ज़मीर
बेख़बर से हो गये हैं न जाने क्यों कुछ ख़बरनवीस

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) March 9, 2022

After the dramatic discovery of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) being whisked away, allegedly in a clandestine manner, in Uttar Pradesh on the evening of March 8, questions are being raised about the alleged complicity of the district administration in the exercise. Opposition parties are not buying the Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma’s explanation that the machines were not used in elections, but were instead used for training purposes. Interestingly, even the Election Commission has backed the DM’s claims. But calls for the DM’s transfer have been growing, as Opposition parties feel the process of vote counting could get compromised if authorities are unable to remain impartial due to their alleged proximity to the ruling regime.  

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Opposition parties demand transfer of Varanasi DM
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The post BREAKING: Officer Suspended in Varanasi after Akhilesh Yadav’s allegations appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On Sunday, polling for the fifth round of Uttar Pradesh assembly elections was held in 61 constituencies, spread across 12 districts in eastern part of the state. This included the most watched constituencies of Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Amethi, Gonda, Raebareli, Kaushambi, Chitrakoot, Bahraich, Pratapgarh, Barabanki, among others. According to news reports, the Election Commission reported that, “2,24,77,494 voters sealed the fate of 693 candidates” in the region. These include incumbent deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.

However, as there are still two more phases still to go, the political buzz in the state continues. Interestingly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership has spent much of its campaign targeting its biggest opponent the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party for ‘work not done’ or for ‘favouring minorities’ etc, even though it is the BJP that is the incumbent government. 

Even Prime Minister Modi who was campaigning in his constituency Varanasi on Monday February 28, lashed out at Akhilesh Yadav, who had commented that the Prime Minister in 2021 had held many official functions in Varanasi, in ‘preparation’ for the assembly elections and timed the events before the electoral Model Code of Conduct came into effect. “How low people have stooped in Indian politics, but when in Kashi, they prayed for my death, I felt elated,” the PM was quoted by news agency ANI, this was his response purportedly aimed at Akhilesh Yadav’s reaction to the various detailed and lengthy functions spearheaded by the PM. Yadav had said, “It is good. They can stay there not just for one month, but even two or three months. That is the right place to stay. People spend their last days in Banaras (Varanasi).” The BJP leadership had lashed out at that comment even then. Now the Prime Minister, the area MP since 2014, revived the comment in Varanasi where five assembly constituencies, Varanasi North, Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantonment, Sevapuri and Rohaniya, will vote on March 7. 

Even before the PM’s barb at SP, the BJP’s other star campaigner Home Minister Amit Shah kept his focus on the bicycle, which is the SP’s symbol. On Sunday, he also trained verbal brickbats at Yadav, and said  that if people chose to ride a bicycle, then electricity will disappear from Uttar Pradesh. Shah was addressing public meetings in Bansdih in Ballia district and Farenda assembly constituency of Maharajganj district, and reportedly added a communal twist saying, “Earlier when there was Tazia-Muharram, there was electricity in Uttar Pradesh. But electricity used to be missing in Shri Ram Navami, Shri Krishna Janmotsav.” Shah asked the crowd, “Is this true?” And when they answered “yes” he warned the voters, “If you ride a cycle, then again electricity will disappear from Uttar Pradesh.”

Then there is the incumbent UP CM Adityanath who’s election rally venue in Sultanpur district on Friday even had ‘Bulldozers’ in attendance. This was reportedly his response to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s calling him ‘Bulldozer Baba’. 

Bulldozers with ‘Baba ka Bulldozer” banners , at a @myogiadityanath rally in Sultanpur – a phase 5 seat – earlier today pic.twitter.com/UyFJTqH4qX

— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) February 25, 2022

Bulldozers were parked at the venue where Adityanath addressed a rally. Video of the UP CM sitting in a helicopter enjoying the sight and asking the cameraman to look at the bulldozers with banners saying “look the bulldozers are also lined up in my meeting” went viral on social media as well.

And @myogiadityanath ji saw it from above! ? https://t.co/u2go5X3wsQ pic.twitter.com/4jOWEDoWhl

— Alok Bhatt (@alok_bhatt) February 25, 2022

The CM is smarting at being branded “Bulldozer Baba” by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadavwho claimed in a recent interview that a section of the media was now calling Adityanath’s by that nick-name. Yadav had recently said, “Yogi used to change names and colours of schemes in the past five years and now his name has also been changed to Bulldozer wale Baba.”

‘Bulldozer’ here was a reference to action taken by the Adityanath-led state government to vacate land they stated was illegally occupied land using bulldozers and  JCBs. The CM at his rally on Friday, said, “We have developed this machine that builds express highways and also tackles the mafias and criminals. When I was coming here, I saw four bulldozers. I think there are five assemblies, we will send one to each, then everything will be fine.”

Around February 15, 2022, a video of Bharatiya Janata Party’s T. Raja Singh, an MLA from the Goshamahal Assembly of Hyderabad, Telangana, threatening Uttar Pradesh’s Hindu voters to re-elect the Adityanath-led BJP government circulated widely on social media. He was heard and seen warning the voters that if they do not vote for a “Yogi-government” then their houses will be identified and destroyed with bulldozers and JCBs.

इतने सारे “बुलडोज़र” कहा जा रहे है ?https://t.co/0cLEp8W4wE pic.twitter.com/lQnDcIPIJO

— Anil Singh (@Anilsingh9761) February 25, 2022

According to news reports, now the BJP cadres are claiming that the CM is greeted by both “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bulldozer Baba Zindabad”.

“Baba ka Bulldozer”

Bulldozers parked at the rally venue in UP’s Sultanpur ahead of UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s campaign visit. pic.twitter.com/TDW0UgKlBB

— Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) February 25, 2022

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SKM urges citizens and farmers to punish BJP with ‘vote ki chot’

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After a long sabbatical, and just in time as more people are getting aware of the rising prices of vegetables, rising unemployment, rising numbers of Covid-19 cases and a decline in GDP, Uttar Pradesh may once again find itself leading a people’s struggle of survival. That is if all the efforts now being undertaken by Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav bear fruit, and if he succeeds in unifying the states’s opposition including the Congress to present a united force, against what they have already called the Adityanath government’s anti-people, anti-poor policies.  

Akhilesh Yadav has been very active in raising issues and protesting against price hike, even as the party’s Rajya Sabha member Javed Ali Khan has been raising issues in Parliament. Party workers are out on the streets protesting, and have been met with lathi charges by UP police for doing so. Yadav has also been very active on social media, to bring all these issues to the attention of the media, and youth voters, who the party is likely to focus on in the next elections. Yadav, a seasoned politician by now, has always been seen as an educated leader with a growing following from the state’s youth.

He is now articulating  the everyday concerns of the people including rising food prices, “Due to the prices of vegetables touching the sky, both the bag and the plate of the general public have been killed. He recently posted, “failure of the ‘Operation Greens’ scheme is clearly visible. The unbridled prices have exposed the cheap understanding of those who explain the economical jumla…Inflation has pierced the plate of ‘Thalinomics’.” 

आसमान छूते सब्ज़ियों के दामों से आम जनता की थैली और थाली दोनों पर मार पड़ी है. ‘ऑपरेशन ग्रीन्स’ योजना की नाकामी साफ़ दिख रही है. बेलगाम दामों ने सस्ती थाली का अर्थशास्त्रीय-जुमला समझाने वालों की थोथी समझ की पोल खोल दी है.

महंगाई ने ‘थालीनॉमिक्स’ की थाली में ही छेद कर दिया है.

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 15, 2020

He has also been actively fuelling hashtags like #NoMoreBJP, the strongest was his anger of police brutality on his party workers who were lathicharged by UP police,  while they were  protesting against the national unemployment crisis. Yadav stated, “The government did not do well by raising sticks on the youths seeking employment in a peaceful manner. Such behavior towards the youth depressed due to unemployment shows the insensitivity of the government. Damn blasphemous!”

आज सपा द्वारा उप्र के ज़िलों में ज्ञापन देकर शांतिपूर्ण तरीक़े से रोज़गार की माँग करनेवाले युवाओं पर सरकार ने लाठी उठाकर अच्छा नहीं किया. बेरोज़गारी के कारण निराश युवा के साथ ऐसा व्यवहार सरकार की असंवेदनशीलता दर्शाता है.

घोर निंदनीय! #NoMoreBJP pic.twitter.com/LyR4Xl7GSx

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 14, 2020

The protest marches, and gatherings of Samajwadi Party workers, had been lathicharged by police in several districts. The protesters were raising awareness on unemployment, and other critical issues plaguing the  state. According to a report in the Indian Express the Samajwadi Party has been carrying out active campaigns, taking to the streets, against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led governments in UP, as well at the Centre. The protesters were lathicharged by UP police in several districts, and the SP leadership has made sure those images and videos were shared widely on social media.

Party leaders have told the media that they will continue their protests across the state which are  focused on: unemployment, and law and order, as well as the “‘misuse of state apparatus” for “harassment of people”, and corruption. Many cases of such harassment, and violence, in Uttar Pradesh have been recorded in the past few months. The Congress’ leadership too had upped its ante and protested against this, however the SP is now doing so in a more aggressive manner.

According to the IE report, on September 10, UP government had initiated an investigation into the alleged corruption in purchase of oximeters and infrared thermometers in several districts. Chief Minister Adityanath constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged scam, it was then that opposition parties began their protests, and called for action against those responsible.

Samajwadi Party leaders have begun uniting the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, as ‘unlocks’ are now being activated and taken to the streets to protest the “government’s failures”. A party leader told IE that they “will leave no stone unturned” to highlight the issues being faced by the people of the state, especially the youth.

The youth will also be made aware of the status of UP governments “failures” by the SP’s online campaigns. Social media is now being used by official party handles, and amplified by workers to raise their voice of protest and dissent against price rise, condition of farmers in the state, privatisation in jobs, contractual jobs, corruption, law and order. Most recently, hashtags such #nahichahiyesamvida (we don’t want contracts),  trended in protest against the government considering to bring in a proposal to keep state government employees of group B and C on a contract basis for five years reported the IE. 

The leadership is working to make #NoMoreBJP a national hashtag. The SP has also announced that onon September 21, it will hold protests across Uttar Pradesh state against “the failure of the state government on all fronts’ ‘, said media reports. The workers will  submit memorandums addressed to the Governor on district and tehsil levels.

रोज़गार हमारा अधिकार है इसीलिए #NoMoreBJP और हम मना रहे हैं #बेरोजगार_सप्ताह

— Juhie Singh (@juhiesingh) September 14, 2020

Jo job no vote #बेरोजगार_सप्ताह @narendramodi @ndtv pic.twitter.com/c29qJmsWLe

— GAURv Kumar (@kumar_gaurav001) September 14, 2020

Meanwhile, in Parliament, Javed Ali Khan of the Samajwadi Party said that the UP Government was collecting charges for “unloading, cleaning wheat,” The Samajwadi Party MP raised the issue through a Zero Hour mention. Khan informed Parliament that while the government has fixed a minimum support price of Rs 1925 per quintal for wheat but farmers are being paid only Rs 1905. As reported by NDTV, this amounts to allegations that “the Uttar Pradesh government charging Rs 20 per quintal in cash in the name of unloading and cleaning charges for wheat procured from farmers and has not reimbursed them in the last three years.”

pic.twitter.com/pxb9StYJIk

— Samajwadi Party (@samajwadiparty) September 16, 2020

Khan narrated his own experience of selling wheat at a government-mandated procurement centre, and claimed that he was “asked to pay Rs 20 per quintal in cash as cleaning and unloading charges”. The news report quotes him telling Parliament that, “When I demanded so see the order to this effect, the official at the procurement mandi showed me an Uttar Pradesh government order mandating Rs 20 per quintal as a charge for unloading and cleaning”. While the order stated that this charge would be reimbursed to farmers once cleared by the Centre and approved by the chief minister, Khan alleged that farmers have not received any reimbursement in the last three years. “They don’t take cheque or do an (RTGS) account transfer. They take cash and do not give a receipt,” he alleged. He said 36 lakh tonnes of wheat was procured in Uttar Pradesh this year and Rs 72 crore has been collected from farmers as this charge. Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked the government to take note of the issue.

It will be interesting to see how Adityanath in UP, and the BJP’s central leadership will respond to these charges now that there is no impending ‘bhoomi pujan’ to focus on.

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The post Inflation has pierced the plate of ‘Thalinomics’: Akhilesh Yadav appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Akhilesh Yadav’s meeting in Kannauj and an incident associated with it has generated vast media attention. For the future of the young scion’s role in Uttar Pradesh politics, it is significant. At a meeting at Kannauj on February 15, a BJP supporter reportedly walked to the front and first raised the issue of unemployment. Believing that this youth could well highlight the incompetence of BJP govt both at the Centre and State, Akhilesh Yadav invited him near the dias! Instead, the young man used the platform to raise the slogan of “Jai ShriRam”. At first, Akhilesh Yadav reacted normally and made some astute political points. But when the sloganeering continued unabated, the SP supremo lost his cool. Yadav’s response is now being analysed critically in some political quarters, in an atmosphere that today prevails in Namo’s New India. It reveals a strategy of the BJP to deliberately send such a youth to the Kannauj rally to provoke Akhilesh Yadav.

The entire transcript of Akhilesh Yadav’s reponse is not objectionable in the first instance but he lost his cool which was not expected of him and which flies in the face of his image of a collected politician. Akhilesh Yadav has very well nurtured his political image as a sincere politician with a mix of humility and modesty with modernity in the past two years since he has taken complete control over the party. There is now no room for criminals, more respect for women and their promotion in leadership is visible. Outright cronyism has taken a back seat. Earlier, the bitter and often, petty family feuds within the Samajwadi Party came out in the open but ideologically Akhilesh Yadav remained steadfast. Through this political churning, a new political party emerged creating a picture of an outfit where clean politics mattered. Something similar to the Aam Aadmi Party’s  kind of politics in Delhi where Arvind Kejriwal with his own image countered the distractions which had been (deliberately) brought into the Delhi campaign by the BJP! This was a cynical ploy of the “the party with no difference” with its attempt to centre the political discourse around the religious identity divide between Hindus and Muslims where Shaheen Bagh, the India Pakistan (cricket) match, ‘Goli’ (gun shots) and ‘Gaali’ (abuse) was brought to the fore.

BJP knows this strategy well: that it is the image of the leadership that wins an election! Rather than working to better the image of their own leadership, it is far easier to target and shame the political image of opponents. The BJP has done this well and with easy because of the vast propaganda mill that they control. This is visible in their strategy vis a vis Rahul Gandhi and in fact, the entire Gandhi family. They have, in fact, have reaped political benefits nationally by doing so.

Now two years down, the UP elections in 2022 are a big battle that looms; a battle which the BJP will leave no stone unturned to win. Akhilesh Yadav today has the best chance to win. Already there are murmurs in political circles, words a la Arvind Kejriwal, to the effect that “ab desh mein kaam ki rajneeti chalegi” and Akhilesh Yadav is best suited to represent that “Kaam ki Rajneeti” in UP. Knowing this full well, the political machinery of the BJP wants to damage this image of Akhilesh Yadav where his image of being sincere, non-corrupt and hard working and his efforts for development in developing infrastructure in the health, power, education and women empowerment sectors remain fresh in the minds of the state’s electorate. A deepening of this image will be detrimental to the BJP’s poll prospects in UP where –in the present scenario —BSP’s is fast losing the political oppositional space and the Congress is rudderless. This makes for the possibility of a sharp, two way fight in UP between the BJP and Akhilesh Yadav in 2022. As was evident in Delhi and Jharkhand (2019, 2020), a two way fight against a strong regional party opponent in the state elections makes BJP lose.

Under these testing circumstances, for Akhilesh, the best strategy is to nurture upon his image of responsible and sincere leader. Despite and inspite any provocation from the BJP, he should not fall into their trap from where they can target and shame his image. If he nurtures this calmly, we have a serious electoral battle ahead of us, in 2022 in UP.

(The writer is director, Centre for Objective Research and Development (CORD))

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But at the time of going to press, the BJP swept the state with the party and its allies leading in 59 of the 80 seats. The BSP was leading on 10 and the SP on 6 at the time. Only Sonia Gandhi of the INC managed to win a seat in the state, with Rahul Gandhi losing on his home turf of Amethi to BJP’s Smriti Irani.

It appears that the Congress fielding candidates in many constituencies, ate into the votes of the Mahagathbandhan ultimately benefiting the BJP. This appeared to be the case in Barabanki, Bijnore, Kairana and Sitapur. Questions are now being raised about the future of this alliance and if it will remain intact till 2022 when assembly elections are scheduled to take place in UP.
 

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According to News18, CBI filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court (SC), stating that no evidence was found against the Yadavs for registering a criminal case.

The CBI informed the SC that the preliminary enquiry was closed in 2013 on finding no evidence for supporting the allegations that they had amassed wealth beyond known sources of income so as to register a Regular Case (RC) against the Yadavs. This was informed to the Central Vigilance Commission as well.

“The preliminary enquiry was not converted into a criminal case because the enquiry conducted by the respondent did not disclose the commission of a cognizable offence”, said the affidavit.

The affidavit was filed in response to SC’s direction to the CBI, on March 25, to give the status of the case. However, the apex court didn’t direct the CBI to file a criminal case. Instead, it directed the investigating agency to take an independent decision on the basis of the evidence collected.

The case was registered by the CBI in 2007 for preliminary enquiry following the directions of the SC in a writ petition filed by Congress worker and lawyer Vishwanath Chaturvedi. Though SC had also directed probe against Dimple Yadav, wife of Akhilesh, the enquiry against her was dropped later, allowing her review petition on the finding that she was not holding any public office.

Mulayam had accused Chaturvedi of opening an old case in between the elections for political gains. In response to a notice issued to him on March 25, Mulayam had filed an affidavit stating, “Chaturvedi filed fresh plea for extraneous reasons and with an objective to gain political mileage just at the time and eve of the 2019 general elections with mala fide reasons.”

Chaturvedi’s petition, filed in February, had accused the CBI of “utterly failing” to intimate the SC or report to the jurisdictional magistrate in respect of the probe done.

Yadavs had been accused of amassing disproportionate assets worth Rs. 100 crore, during Mulayam’s tenure as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh between 1999 and 2005.

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Image Courtesy: Akhilesh yadav , PTI
 

 

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