Akhilesh Yadav expels Samajwadi MLA hours after her praise for Yogi Adityanath
The letter stated that despite prior warnings, Pooja Pal did not cease her activities, causing 'considerable harm to the party.' It also clarified that she is removed from all party positions and will no longer be invited to any SP programs or meetings.After her expulsion, Pooja Pal said, 'Perhaps you could not hear the women in Prayagraj who were even more worried than me. But I am their voice.' She added that she had been elected to speak for mothers and sisters who lost loved ones and that the Chief Minister had delivered justice to all affected by Atiq Ahmed, not just her.#WATCH | Expelled SP MLA Pooja Pal says, "...Perhaps you could not hear the women in Prayagraj who were even more worried than me. But I am their voice, I have been elected as an MLA and sent to the Assembly. I am the voice of mothers and sisters who have lost their loved ones. https://t.co/cnE7hzb0Pe pic.twitter.com/8MaF0iWtZR— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2025"I have been saying this from day one, even when I was in the party. I stand by my statement even today. I became an MLA later, but I was first a victim woman, a wife We could not stand the incident that occurred to us. They speak of PDA. I, too, belong to a backward community; I was troubled. I stepped out of my house after my husband was killed in broad daylight. I was a newlywed bride, and there was nobody at home. They have proven they are completely against public display of affection (PDA).'Her remarks triggered sharp reactions within the Samajwadi Party.Chief Whip Kamaal Akhtar described her statement as a personal matter, adding that if she disagreed with the party, she should not have remained in it.UP Minister JPS Rathore lauded the Chief Minister's actions, saying Pooja Pal's grievances were addressed after years of suffering due to crimes by Atiq Ahmed.- Ends
IN THIS STORY#Uttar Pradesh
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Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
UP ministers, legislators get hefty hike in salaries, perks
LUCKNOW UP ministers and legislators were given a handsome hike in their salaries and perks with the legislative assembly unanimously adopting the Uttar Pradesh State Legislature Members and Ministers Amenities Laws (Amendment) Bill 2025 before being adjourned sine die on Thursday. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath speaks during the Monsoon session of the State Assembly, in Lucknow, Thursday. (PTI Photo) There was also a hike in the pension and family pension of members of both houses of the state legislature. Minister for parliamentary affairs, Suresh Khanna, moved the bill to amend the UP State Legislature (Members' Emoluments and Pension) Act, 1980, and the Uttar Pradesh Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1981, saying salaries and perks had been hiked after nearly nine years with the last hike in 2016 due to rising inflation. With the increase in salaries, allowances and other heads, the average takeaway for the legislators will be up by ₹65,000 per month - from ₹2.01 lakh per month to ₹2.66 lakh per month. For ministers, the amount will be up from ₹2.11 lakh to ₹2.76 lakh, said Khanna. He said the average hike in salaries and perks was only 30% while the Central and state governments have increased the DA by about 55%. Other items of increase in the monthly takeaway for the legislators include the constituency allowance which has been increased from ₹50,000 per month to ₹75,000 per month, secretarial allowance goes up from ₹20,000 per month to ₹30,000 per month and the medical allowance has been increased from ₹30,000 per month to ₹45,000 per month. The daily allowance was increased from ₹2000 per day to ₹2500 per day on days of meetings of both houses of legislature and committees while daily allowance for public service on other days will go up from ₹1500 per day to ₹2000. The telephone allowance will go up from ₹6000 per month to ₹9000 per month. The entitlement of railway coupons for legislators has been increased from ₹4.25 lakh per annum to ₹5 lakh per annum. There will be an increase in the pension for former legislators. Monthly pension will go up from ₹25,000 per month to ₹35,000 on completion of first term (irrespective of completion of five years). On completion of every year, after the first term, an amount of ₹2000 per year will be added for every year completed after the first term. The family pension (for spouse or minor child or unmarried girl child) was increased from ₹25,000 per month to ₹30,000 per month. The entitlement of railway coupons for former legislators was increased from ₹1 lakh per annum to ₹1.50 lakh per annum. The state government will now incur a burden of ₹105.23 crore on revised salaries and allowances. 'The salary, allowances, pension and other amenities admissible to the members of the state legislature and salary of ministers have not been revised for a long time. In view of the price rise and escalation in the cost of living, it has been decided to revise the same so that they may serve the cause of their parliamentary constituency in a meaningful manner,' said Khanna in a statement. The state government had constituted a committee headed by Khanna and representatives of all political parties to consider the issue of hike. Earlier, the state government had effected a 30% cut in salaries of legislators for one year w.e.f April 1, 2020, following the Covid-19 pandemic and the amount was transferred to the Covid Care Fund. BREAK-UP OF HIKE Legislators' takeaway goes up from ₹2.01 lakh per month to ₹2.66 lakh per month. For ministers, it has been revised from ₹2.11 lakh per month to ₹2.76 lakh. Salary goes up - from ₹25,000 per month to ₹35,000 per month for legislators. For ministers, it goes up from ₹40,000 per month to ₹50,000. Constituency allowance- from ₹50,000 per month to ₹75,000 per month Secretarial allowance- from ₹20,000 per month to ₹30,000 per month Medical allowance- from ₹30,000 per month to ₹45,000 per month Daily allowance (during meetings of House and committees) from ₹2000 per day to ₹2500 per day (for public service when House not in session or no committee meeting) from ₹1500 per day to ₹2000 per day
Hindustan Times
30 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
SC cancels Darshan's bail; actor, main accused held
Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa was arrested in Bengaluru on Thursday, just hours after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to him by the Karnataka high court in the Renukaswamy murder case. Police took him into custody near his Hosakerehalli residence soon after he returned to the city from an outstation trip. Police arrest actor Pavitra Gowda from her residence after the Supreme Court cancelled the bail granted to her by the High Court in the Renukaswamy murder case, in Bengaluru on Thursday. (ANI) The apex court's order also covered Darshan's associate Pavithra Gowda and five other accused, all of whom were arrested and will be produced before the trial court in Bengaluru, police said. According to police, Gowda was picked up earlier in the day by the Annapoorneshwari Nagar police. Pradoosh S Rao, Lakshman M, and Nagaraj are among those detained. While cancelling the bail to the actor, a bench of justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan said, 'Granting leniency to such persons despite grave charges of conspiracy and murder sends the wrong message to society and undermines public confidence in the justice system.' In a democracy governed by the rule of law, the bench said, 'no individual is exempt from legal accountability by virtue of status or social capital'. In the present case, it said, 'By treating A2's (Darshan) stature as a mitigating factor, the high court committed a manifest perversity in the exercise of its discretion, thereby warranting cancellation of bail.' Police officers said a copy of the Supreme Court order was submitted to the trial court to secure arrest warrants for all the accused before their remand to judicial custody. The order follows a special leave petition filed by the state government challenging the high court's decision in December 2024 to grant bail to the accused. Darshan, who had been away when news of the court's decision reached him, was contacted by police and asked to appear before investigators. He complied, arriving in a luxury SUV before switching to another vehicle to avoid the media assembled outside his apartment. He entered the premises through the back door. The murder case, began with Darshan's arrest in June 2024. Police allege he orchestrated the killing of Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga, after the victim allegedly stalked and abused Gowda on social media. The actor was detained on June 11, 2024, in Mysuru while filming The Devil and was held in custody for 131 days. He was released on interim bail in October and granted regular bail in December. With the latest court order, Darshan is expected to be shifted to the Ballari Central Prison. He was previously housed there after being moved from the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison when images emerged of him smoking and mingling with high-profile inmates. Following that episode, Ballari prison authorities heightened security measures, including raising the perimeter wall to 25 feet and preparing a secure cell. The measures were taken after fans breached prison boundaries during his earlier detention, police officers said. The Supreme Court's decision comes a day before the scheduled release of the first song from The Devil. The film's team had announced on August 10 that the track 'Idre Nemdiyaag Irbek' (You should live in peace) would be released on Independence Day morning, an event now likely to be overshadowed by the arrest. For Renukaswamy's family, Thursday's ruling was a moment of relief. His father, Shivanagouda, welcomed the decision. 'Darshan's bail has been cancelled. There is an order to arrest him. This brings our faith back…The Supreme Court order reinstates the belief that no one can escape the law,' he said. Chief minister Siddaramaiah's legal advisor AS Ponnanna said the verdict would strengthen the prosecution's case. 'We had feared that the investigation would be hampered because Darshan was out on bail. There was a possibility that he could influence the witnesses while he was out. However, now all these challenges will be resolved with the order given by the Supreme Court,' he said. Soon after the court's order was received on Thursday morning, senior police officials briefed home minister G Parameshwara at the Vidhana Soudha. 'The law is the same for everyone. No one is above the law in the country. Everyone should respect the law of the land. The accused have the opportunity to fight for justice further, and that is also allowed by the law,' Parameshwara said.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Vision 2047 debate wraps up in 27 hours: Yogi lists govt's achievements, lays out themes for 12 sectors
Wrapping up the 27-hour debate on 'Vision 2047' in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, Yogi Adityanath on Thursday targeted the Opposition's rule and highlighted his eight-and-a-half-year record as the chief minister of the state. The debate, he said, was split into two phases — reviewing the achievements between 1947 to 2017 (the year he became the CM of UP), and charting the path of the state from 2017 to 2047. The debate, he said, was split into two phases — reviewing the achievements between 1947 to 2017 (the year he became the CM of UP), and charting the path of the state from 2017 to 2047. Comparing the governance from 1947–2017 with his own from 2017 to present 2025, Adityanath accused the Opposition Samajwadi Party of fostering a family-centric mindset and mocked their 'PDA' slogan of Picchda, Dalit, and Alpsankhyaks as 'Parivar (Family) Development Authority'. 'You are confined only to your families. Your 'Parivar Development Authority' approach embodies Swami Vivekananda's philosophy of the 'Kupa Manduka' (frogs in the well). The world is moving ahead on the path of competition, but you are still confined to your families,' the CM hit out at the Samajwadi Party leaders. The remarks came after Leader of the Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey questioned the CM's displeasure with the PDA slogan, claiming that the backwards, Dalits, and minorities had greatly contributed to bringing his government to power. The 'P' in PDA could also stand for 'Pandit', Pandey had added. In his address, Adityanath termed the Opposition's PDA slogan as a 'ploy to deceive the public', and emphasised that inclusive and holistic development formed the foundation for Uttar Pradesh and the progress of India, insisting his government discriminated against no one. He also accused the Samajwadi Party of defaming 'Netaji' (Mulayam Singh Yadav), and said that Shivpal Yadav was the last link to his legacy. 'But even chacha (Shivpal) was outwitted,' he said. The CM listed UP's economic progress, claiming that the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), which was Rs 13 lakh crore in 2016-17, is expected to reach Rs 35 lakh crore by the end of the 2025-26 financial year. 'UP's contribution to the national GDP has increased from 8% to 9.5%. The per capita income has increased sharply from Rs 43,000 to Rs 120,000. Exports have also grown from Rs 84,000 crore to Rs 186,000 crore, and the state's budget has increased from Rs 3 lakh crore to Rs 8 lakh crore,' he said. 'The NITI Aayog's Fiscal Health Index has improved by 8.9 points. Digital transactions have grown from Rs 122 crore to Rs 1,400 crore. UP is on its transition path from being a BIMARU state to becoming a revenue-surplus state,' he added. The CM said that in the past eight years, the growth rate of agriculture and allied sectors in the state touched over 14% — 4.5% higher than the national average of 9.5%. Highlighting the state's agricultural potential, he added, 'The state's share in national foodgrain production has risen to about 21%, despite having only 10% of India's cultivable land.' In the past eight years, the CM claimed, the number of registered factories increased from 14,169 to 27,295. 'Investment proposals worth Rs 45 lakh crore came in, with projects worth Rs 15 lakh crore materializing and providing jobs to over 60 lakh youth and employment to million more people,' he said. The CM said that from April 2017 till now, Rs 16,316 crore in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been received. The CM claimed that from 1947 to 2017, the energy sector struggled with limited capacity and irregular supply, with a total production capacity of only 12,000 MW. 'But between 2017 and 2025, the electricity generation capacity increased by 8,000 MW, taking the total capacity to over 20,000 MW,' the CM said. In 2016–17, peak electricity demand was 16,000 MW, whereas now it has risen to 33,000 MW, and the government is meeting the increased demand, he added. Claiming that big achievements have been made in the healthcare sector over the past eight years, the CM said that from just two medical colleges in 1947, the number rose to 40 by 2017. 'My government has added 40 more, taking the total to over 80,' he said. In the list of his government's achievements, Adityanath said that institutional delivery rates have risen from 67.8% to 96.1%, while maternal mortality rate (MMR) has dropped from 201 to 141, and infant mortality rate (IMR) has fallen from 43 to 37. He said that between 2017 and 2025, 'planned and targeted efforts' have lifted 6 crore people above the poverty line. Adityanath said that tourism and heritage conservation in UP have raised the state's share in national tourism from 13.1% in 2016 to over 19–20% in 2024. On the law and order situation, the chief minister said there has been a 'remarkable decline' in crime as compared to 2016 — 94% decline in dacoity, 82% decline in loot, 47% decline in murder, 50% decline in kidnapping for ransom, 16% drop in dowry deaths, and 50% drop in rape cases. Adityanath attributed the improvement to his government's 'zero-tolerance' policy towards crimes and effective police action. Presenting the draft Vision Document 2047, Adityanath said it will be finalised with inputs from experts, NITI Aayog, and the public. 'Building on eight years of progress, the government aims to make Uttar Pradesh a $1 trillion economy by 2030, raise the growth rate to 20% in five years, and chart a course toward $6 trillion by 2047, increasing the state's GDP share from 9.3% to at least 16%,' he stated. The CM said that the current national per capita income is about Rs 2 lakh, while UP's average is much lower. 'The goal is that by 2047, the state's per capita income should be at least Rs 26 lakh annually, equal to or above the national average,' he said. Stating that the government's aim is to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat — Viksit Uttar Pradesh and Atmanirbhar Bharat — Atmanirbhar Uttar Pradesh, the CM said three main themes have been set, covering 12 sectors. He listed them as promoting innovation in agriculture; work on animal husbandry, dairy development, and fisheries; pushing for 'Digital Pradesh'; focus on tourism, charity, and culture department; improving the ease of living; and a 'balanced development' with focus on renewable energy, green hydrogen, and hydropower. 'Along with this, the goal is to make UP a global leader in emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain, and quantum computing. Work will also be done on building IT parks and converting IT opportunities into jobs,' the CM added. He announced that with ISRO's cooperation, UP will launch its own satellite, which will provide disaster management and weather information. He lauded the engaging participation of the MLAs from both the ruling party and the Opposition, calling the marathon discussion a testament to the strength of democracy and the dedication of its members. In the end, the Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to make Uttar Pradesh and India developed and self-reliant by 2047.
