DELHI : Ahead of the Assembly Elections in Uttar Pradesh next year, the Samajwadi Party Thursday announced an alliance with the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) in a meeting between Akhilesh Yadav and his estranged uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav at the latter’s residence in Lucknow. Meanwhile, Congress MLAs gathered outside the UP Legislative Assembly in Lucknow demanding the resignation of MoS (Home) Ajay Kumar Mishra, whose son Ashish Mishra is an accused in Lakhimpur Kheri violence. Protests demanding Mishra’s resignation were also registered during the Parliament proceedings on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday spoke about the SIT report which called the Lakhimpur Kheri incident a ‘planned conspiracy’. “As elections approach, the BJP wears religious spectacles and sees everything on the basis of religion…BJP should suspend their MoS Home (Ajay Mishra),” he was quoted as saying by ANI. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda on Wednesday stated, “For years, everyone wanted that a grand Ram temple be built for each and every Indian. Now, that wish is being fulfilled. The party president along with 11 chief ministers and two deputy chief ministers of BJP-ruled states offered prayers at the makeshift temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi. Earlier in the day, the delegation offered prayers at the Saryu ghat and Hanuman Garhi temple.In a meeting of the CMs and deputy CMs of 12 BJP-ruled states on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to UP called upon the chief ministers to carve a niche for themselves in some or the other sector of governance. He urged the chief ministers to accord topmost priority to “ease of living”. India is so unique that whenever it faces adverse times, a saint emerges to change the course of time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday. Giving the example of the freedom struggle, he said many saints left their spiritual passion to join the movement but their contributions were not recorded in history as they should have been.
“Hamara desh itna adbhut hai ki yahan jab bhi samay viprit hota, koi na koi sant-vibhuti samay ki dhara ko modne ke avtarit ho jati hai (our country is so unique that whenever it faces adverse times, a saint emerges to change the course of time,” he said while addressing a gathering at an event to mark the 98th anniversary celebrations of Sadguru Sadafaldeo Vihangam Yog Sansthan at Swarved Mahamandir Dham here. Ahead of the Assembly elections in five states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the chief ministers of 12 BJP-ruled states here on Tuesday. Deputy chief ministers of states where the BJP shares power also attended the meeting.During the five-hour meeting, the Prime Minister, along with BJP president J P Nadda, took updates on the execution of various Central government schemes.