Lucknow:

Amid the buzz over a social media post by Uttar Pradesh’s Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, main Opposition Samajwadi Party’s leader Akhilesh Yadav today said the people of Uttar Pradesh are fed up with infighting within the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government. In a sharp response, Mr Maurya stressed that the BJP has strong governments and organisation at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh and the Samajwadi Party has no chance of a comeback.  

This comes against the backdrop of a remark by the Deputy Chief Minister that triggered speculation that all is not well within the Uttar Pradesh government. The BJP, however, has trashed this buzz. “The organisation is bigger than the government. No one is bigger than the organisation,” Mr Maurya said at a meeting of the state BJP working committee on Sunday. The remark, which following Mr Maurya’s meeting with BJP president JP Nadda, was widely seen as a veiled swipe at Mr Adityanath. 

“There is infighting in the government. BJP leaders are fighting among themselves. The people know about the corruption and are fed up with the game of thrones,” Mr Yadav said at a party event.

The Samajwadi Party chief had earlier said that the administration had been put on the back burner as the state’s BJP leaders compete with each other. “The BJP, which engineered splits in other parties, is now doing the same within. This is why it is sinking in the quicksand of infighting. There is no one in the BJP to think for the people,” he had said in a post on X.

On the buzz surrounding Mr Maurya’s remark, Akhilesh Yadav said the BJP “wants to stand with those who lost”. Mr Maurya, a former UP BJP chief, lost the 2022 Assembly election but was retained as Deputy Chief Minister. He is now a member of the legislative council.

Responding to the Samajwadi Party chief, Mr Maurya tweeted this afternoon that the BJP’s governments and organisation in the country and the state are strong. “The return of SP’s reign of goons in UP is impossible. BJP will repeat 2017 in the 2027 state polls,” he posted on X. Significantly, Mr Maurya was state BJP chief in 2017 and the BJP had scored a thumping win in that election. 

Speaking at the BJP state leaders’ meet, Mr Adityanath had said “overconfidence” cost the BJP dearly in the recently-held Lok Sabha election. The results of Uttar Pradesh came as a rude shock to the BJP in this general election, its score dropping from 62 in 2019 to 33 this time. The Samajwadi Party made huge gains to bag 37 seats.

“The percentage of votes that was in favour of BJP in 2014 and subsequent elections, BJP has been successful in getting the same number of votes in 2024 as well, but the shifting of votes and overconfidence have hurt our expectations,” Mr Adityanath said, calling upon party workers to step up preparations for the upcoming bypolls in 10 Assembly seats.

Mr Yadav said he was confident of a good show by the Samajwadi Party in the bypolls, the date of which has not been announced yet.  

On the upcoming state budget, Mr Yadav said, “The Centre says we are the fifth-largest economy globally. And UP talks about a 1 trillion dollar economy. The state government should tell us how much the Centre has helped in this case. The government in Delhi must put out the per capita income, if we become the third-largest economy, will we be able to match per capital income in developed countries?”

The Congress, meanwhile, has drawn a Kalyan Singh parallel. “I have an experience of 44 years in UP… The same thing is happening now when Kalyan Singh was removed by the BJP and only time will tell if there is another Kalyan Singh or if Kalyan Singh can overpower. We will have to wait and see why all this is happening. But one thing is sure: the honest BJP workers are really sad inside,” Congress leader Pramod Tiwari has said, according to news agency ANI.

The BJP has downplayed the issue. Union Minister BL Verma said there is no infighting in Uttar Pradesh. “The government and the organisation are doing their work. The organisation and the government compliment each other,” he said.

Lucknow:

Top BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh will meet this morning to review preparations for the upcoming by-elections to 10 assembly seats, the first polls in the state after a sharp drop in the ruling party’s tally in the recent Lok Sabha election.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called a meeting of the cabinet ministers at 11 am at his Lucknow residence. The meeting assumes significance as the BJP has been assessing its electoral strategies in view of the unsatisfactory results in the Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP won just 33 of UP’s 80 Lok Sabha seats – behind main rival Samajwadi Party’s 37 – despite bagging a whopping majority in the 2022 assembly elections.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya met BJP chief J P Nadda last evening. He left the BJP headquarters without speaking to the media.

Reports suggest Mr Nadda may also meet UP BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, but there has been no official word on the meeting’s agenda.

Mr Adityanath had at a conclave blamed “over-confidence” for the poor electoral performance in the Lok Sabha elections and suggested the BJP could not effectively counter the INDIA bloc’s campaign. Mr Nadda was present at the conclave.

Not just in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP saw an overall drop in seats as it failed to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

To discuss its performance, the party has called all its chief ministers and their deputies to Delhi at the end of this month. Modi 3.0’s first budget and the action plan for the first 100 days will also be discussed.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and BJP chief JP Nadda are among the senior BJP leaders set to attend the meeting.

Lucknow:

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has written a letter to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the Hathras stampede incident.

Mr Gandhi explained the problems of the victims’ families in his letter and urged the Chief Minister to increase the compensation amount and provide it to the victims’ families as soon as possible.

The Congress leader posted the letter dated July 6 on social media platform X on Sunday.

Talking about his visit to Aligarh and Hathras on Friday where he interacted with the bereaved families, Mr Gandhi wrote that no amount of compensation can be enough for the loss suffered by families.

He further said that an impartial probe would help identify the lapses by the district administration in the tragic incident that claimed the lives of 121 people. “This will help in preventing the recurrence of such incidents in future and the guilty need to be punished,” he wrote.

He further wrote that the Congress workers and he was prepared to extend any help that may be required.

On Friday, Mr Gandhi met the victims’ families in Hathras and inquired about the incident and the help they had received. He had assured them that he would take up their problems at the right forum and also help them in every possible way.

He later visited Hathras and met the injured and those who had lost their family members in the stampede.

He told reporters, “There have been some lapses on the part of the administration which led to a tragedy of this magnitude. When permission was for 80,000 people, then how did so many people reach there? Action should be taken against whoever is guilty.”

The stampede took place on Tuesday evening (July 2) at a Satsang of a self-styled godman, Suraj Pal who also goes by the names of Narayan Sakar Hari and ‘Bhole Baba’.

An FIR was registered in the incident naming the organizers of the event and the main accused — the manager Dev Prakash Madhukar– was arrested on Friday night. The police also arrested six persons, known as sewadars, who were supporters of the preachers and were managing the event.

Uttar Pradesh Police conducted a search operation at Ram Kutir Charitable Trust in Mainpuri. Later, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mainpuri Sunil Kumar said that ‘Bhole Baba’ was not found inside his ashram. Superintendent of Hathras City, Rahul Mithas also said that they did not find him in the ashram.

On Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath visited the site of the tragedy and ordered a judicial probe into the incident.

A three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Brijesh Kumar Srivastava has been constituted to ensure comprehensiveness of the subject matter and transparency in the inquiry. The team visited Hathras on Saturday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

After 116 people lost their lives in a stampede incident at a religious event in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras on Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath unequivocally said that whether this is an accident or a conspiracy, the government will get to the bottom of it and will give appropriate punishment to the people responsible.

Chief Minister Yogi told ANI that the police along with the state ministers are at the spot.

“PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have expressed deep sorrow and condolences to the bereaved families. The Government of India and the state government have also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the families of the seriously injured. The state government will get to the bottom of this entire incident, whether this is an accident or a conspiracy, we will get to the bottom of it,” he said.

“Doing politics instead of expressing condolences on such an incident is extremely unfortunate and condemnable. The government is already sensitive in this matter and the government will get to the bottom of this matter and give appropriate punishment to the conspirators and those responsible for this incident,” he emphasized further.

Further, the UP Chief Minister said that a team has been formed to investigate the matter.

“The incident is extremely sad and heart-wrenching. Local organizers had organized a program of ‘Bhole Baba’. After the program, when the preacher of the Satsang was coming down from the stage, suddenly a crowd of devotees started going towards him to touch him and when the ‘sevadars’ stopped them, this accident happened there. To investigate this entire matter, we have formed a team under the chairmanship of Additional DG Agra and have asked them to give a detailed report,” he said.

“Given the incident, the Chief Secretary and DGP of the state are camping there. Three ministers of the state government Chaudhary Laxmi Narayan, Sandeep Singh, Asim Arun, all three of them are at the spot,” Yogi Adityanath added.

Aligarh Commissioner Chaitra V informed that 116 people died in the incident.

“116 people have been confirmed dead. 18 people are injured. Treatment is being ensured for the injured in Aligarh district. Primary investigation is being carried out,” she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh):

On the occasion of 50 years of Emergency, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that although the faces in Congress have changed, their character and gestures remain the same.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, “They tried to completely strangle democracy by locking up all the leaders of the opposition parties of that time, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Morarji Desai, Jayaprakash Narayan, Lal Krishna Advani and all the leaders of the Opposition. After 50 years, the faces in the Congress have changed, but its character, its gestures are still the same, as was seen in 1975.”

He said that the then Congress government strangled the Constitution of India.

He further said, “A dark chapter of India’s parliamentary democracy took place exactly 50 years ago on this day late at night, when the then Congress government conspired to completely end democracy by strangling the Constitution of India. Congress government led by Indira Gandhi tried to destroy India’s democracy in the darkness of the night of June 25, 1975.”

The UP Chief Minister blamed the Congress for stalling the proceedings of the Parliament.

“The way they made amendments to the Preamble and tried to destroy it. They snatched the fundamental rights of the people. They eroded the rights of the judiciary. They talk about democracy, but they visit abroad and criticise democracy, raise questions about the election process, and blame the EVM for their defeats. Congress forcefully enforced Article 370. Those who are trying to stall the proceedings in Parliament have they ever obeyed the Constitution,” he added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed sharp criticism at the Congress and said that the dark days of the emergency remind how the Congress Party trampled over the Constitution of India.

Taking to X PM Modi posted, “Today is a day to pay homage to all those great men and women who resisted the emergency. The Dark Days of Emergency remind us of how the Congress Party subverted basic freedoms and trampled over the Constitution of India, which every Indian respects greatly.”

He further said that just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle.

He further shared, “Just to cling on to power, the then Congress government disregarded every democratic principle and made the nation into a jail. Any person who disagreed with Congress was tortured and harassed. Socially regressive policies were unleashed to target the weakest sections.”

He wrote that those who imposed the emergency have no right to profess their love for our Constitution.

“These are the same people who have imposed Article 356 on innumerable occasions, got a bill to destroy press freedom, destroyed federalism, and violated every aspect of the Constitution,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Gorakhpur:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday met with the family members of two people killed in a fire in southern Kuwait’s Mangaf as well as some devotees injured in a terrorist attack in Jammu’s Shiv Khori.

He spoke to them at the Gorakhnath temple and provided them financial assistance.

The fire in a multi-storey building in Kuwait resulted in the death of 49 people, including Angad Gupta from Jatepur in Sadar tehsil and Jayaram Gupta from Bharmour in Campierganj tehsil, both in Gorakhpur.

According to a statement, the chief minister met with Angad Gupta’s wife Rita Devi and Jayaram Gupta’s wife Sunita, conveyed his condolences and handed them cheques of Rs 5 lakh each.

Yogi Adityanath also provided Rs 1 lakh each to those injured in the recent terrorist attack in Shiv Khori.

The chief minister enquired about their health and assured them that the government would cover all medical expenses.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath – a senior leader of the BJP – and Mohan Bhagwat, boss of ruling party’s ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are expected to meet this afternoon in Gorakhpur, which is the latter’s Assembly bastion.

The meeting – sources call it a “courtesy meet” as Mr Bhagwat is in the Chief Minister’s constituency for a RSS event, is to take place either between 2 and 4 pm or after the latter’s visit to the Gorakhnath Temple.

The optics of Mohan Bhagwat meeting Yogi Adityanath are significant after the former’s speech this week in Nagpur; Mr Bhagwat’s speech was peppered with criticism about the way the campaign was conducted on both sides of the political divide.

If the RSS chief’s comment was veiled, his colleague Indresh Kumar’s was not; he slammed the “party which did bhakti of Lord Ram (a reference to building the Ram Temple in UP’s Ayodhya, which was expected to seal a landslide win for the party) for its “arrogance”. 

The RSS, however, dispelled talk of a split with its political unit; sources said the message was just a pick-me-up for the BJP’s central leadership.

And as for Indresh Kumar’s jab, RSS sources distanced the organisation from the comments and sought to flip it, declaring Lord Ram “stopped those (the Congress-led INDIA bloc) who became arrogant” at 241.

For the 2024 Lok Sabha election the BJP had set itself an ambitious target of 370 seats (400+ with allies) to form a third consecutive union government with a brute majority.

However, hobbled by a strong showing by the INDIA group, and pushback over policy issues, the party’s previously formidable election-winning machinery managed only 240 seats – 32 below the majority mark – and was forced to rely on ‘kingmakers’ Nitish Kumar and N Chandrababu Naidu to complete its hat-trick.

Gorakhpur:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited and inspected Shaheed Ashfaq Ullah Khan Zoological Park (Gorakhpur Zoo) on Sunday.

During his visit, the Chief Minister inspected the five-year-old lion Bharat and seven-year-old lioness Gauri, who were brought from Etawah Lion Safari about a week ago.

आज शहीद अशफाक उल्ला खां प्राणि उद्यान, गोरखपुर में… pic.twitter.com/QAnAUJOB4i

— Yogi Adityanath (मोदी का परिवार) (@myogiadityanath) June 2, 2024

Another tiger Babbar Sher Pataudi roared, during the Chief Minister’s inspection, in front of his enclosure.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath visits a Zoo in Gorakhpur

(Source: CM Media, Gorakhpur) pic.twitter.com/7rbaxhDxjP

— ANI (@ANI) June 2, 2024

While inspecting the zoo, the Chief Minister also fed bananas to the rhino pair, Hari and Gauri, and after taking information about other wild animals, he instructed the zoo officials to take proper care of the animals.

DFO and zoo Director Vikas Yadav, who was accompanying the Chief Minister, kept giving information about the care of wildlife.

Yogi Adityanath also inspected the zoo hospital.

He checked about the methods of rescuing wildlife and their treatment and food. He also saw the wildlife being treated in the hospital and asked about their health.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

Slamming Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over his “retirement at 75 years of age” remark on Prime Minister Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that knowing their defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, desperate opposition making futile attempts.

Earlier, Kejriwal claimed that PM Modi after turning 75 next year will make way for Home Minister Amit Shah and also alleged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be left out in the cold after the general elections.

In his post on X, CM Yogi said, “The entire propaganda of the opposition has failed in the face of the immense public support that the honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji is receiving from East to West and North to South. Knowing that its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections is certain, the desperate opposition is making futile attempts to launch a pseudo-attack by using the excuse of Modiji’s age. The people of India know that every moment of Modiji is dedicated to taking Mother India to the ultimate glory.”

Further, he asserted that the people of India know that every moment of Modi ji is dedicated to taking Mother India to the ultimate glory.

“Under the successful leadership of respected Prime Minister Modi ji, the concepts of ‘Viksit Bharat, Aatmnirbhar Bharat and Ek Bharat-Shresth Bharat’ are being realised. Certainly, in the third term of Modi ji, India will touch new heights towards becoming a global superpower. Modi Ji is the accepted leader of 140 crore Indians and our guardian. We are proud that we are Modi Ji’s family members,” CM Yogi Adityanath said.

Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal claimed that PM Modi is making way for Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will be left out in the cold after the general elections.

“These people ask the INDIA alliance who will be their prime minister. I ask the BJP, Who will be your Prime Minister? PM Modi is turning 75 on September 17. He made a rule that leaders in the party would retire after 75 years. LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Sumitra Mahajan, and Yashwant Sinha were retired and now PM Modi is going to retire,” CM Kejriwal said.

“If their government is formed, they will first dispose of Yogi Adityanath and then make Amit Shah the Prime Minister of the country. PM Modi is asking for votes for Amit Shah. Will Amit Shah fulfil Modi’s guarantee?” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Begusarai:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday dubbed the Congress-led opposition as “Ram drohis” who stood for “division of the country on religious lines” by promoting “cow slaughter” and granting reservations to Muslims.

The senior BJP leader made the remarks at a rally in Bihar’s Begusarai Lok Sabha seat, which Union minister Giriraj Singh seeks to retain.

“The ongoing elections are a choice between Ram bhakts and Ram drohis”, said the pontiff of Gorakkshdham shrine, who made the crowd chant “Jo Ram ko laaye hain, hum unko laaye hain”.

“I come from the land of Lord Ram. I know that the temple for Ayodhya has a special place in the hearts of people of Bihar, which is the birthplace of Goddess Sita”, said Yogi.

Without naming Samajwadi Party, a Congress ally and BJP’s principal opponent in UP, he said, “Ram drohis include those who got bullets fired on Ram bhaktis, mourned the deaths of mafia dons”.

The allusion was to police firing on ‘kar sevaks’ in the 1980s when SP founder late Mulayam Singh Yadav was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, besides the killing of Atiq Ahmed in presence of police personnel and death, while in jail, of Mukhtar Ansari.

Blaming RJD-Congress for the lawlessness in Bihar before the NDA assumed power, Yogi alleged, “they have come up with a plan to divide the country on religious lines, by giving reservations to Muslims, betraying the mandate of Baba Saheb Ambedkar”.

“Where will our dalits and OBCs go if quotas meant for them are diverted elsewhere”, Yogi asked, adding, “the Congress had started the conspiracy while in power by constituting the Sachar committee”.

He also alleged that the Congress, in its manifesto, has promised “minorities the right to have food of their choice” and said “Hindus’ dietary habits are similar to those of other communities”.

“But there is one point of difference. Hindus cannot permit cow slaughter and consumption of its meat. We must oppose those who want to promote these things”, said the UP Chief Minister.

He also urged the people to vote for NDA and ensure return to power of Prime Minister Narendra Modi under whose “strong” rule, “cross border terrorism has been wiped out and a tremulous Pakistan ends up distancing itself from every explosion on Indian soil, even if it is a burst of crackers”.

“India has entered digital age. Bihar must not allow RJD and Congress to make a regression to the lantern age”, said Yogi, referring to the RJD’s poll symbol.

“In my state, we will ensure that the NDA win all 80 seats. I hope that Bihar, too, will witness a similar clean sweep”, added the UP strongman, nicknamed ‘bulldozer baba’ in political lexicon, who also paid tributes to legendary Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, who hailed from Begusarai.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)