In pursuit of UP poll leverage, how BJP ally Apna Dal (S) is playing the long game
On May 29, the party led by Union Minister Anupriya Patel appointed Dalit leader R P Gautam, who hails from the Jatav community, as its state president, and on June 16, it tapped Prayagraj-based youth leader Ammad Hassan to lead its youth wing. In addition to this, the party recently also appointed coordinators for each of the 403 Assembly seats in UP. Sources said the new appointments were an attempt to showcase the party's strength in the run-up to founder Sone Lal Patel's birth anniversary on July 2 and set the ball rolling for the panchayat polls in 2026.
Anupriya Patel and state Cabinet Minister Ashish Patel, her husband, have been conducting monthly party meetings in Lucknow to take stock of the organisational overhaul. Anupriya has also started publicly pushing for a separate Union Ministry for OBCs and highlighted the party's strategy to reach out to various OBC communities to create a broader vote bank.
Sources said the efforts were all in preparation for the 2027 polls, and the BJP ally wants to be in a position to go solo if needed and have greater bargaining power.
'We are moving strategically and trying to strengthen our party and its base. In the next few days, you will see more announcements. We are the only party in the state to have a Jatav Dalit state chief. We might not be in a position to take policy decisions directly for the Dalits and OBCs. But we are making attempts to influence policy decisions,' said a senior party leader.
He also said the party's outreach efforts were visible in the issues they were backing 'We are supporting the demand for a caste-based Census, pushing for OBC reservation in central schools and NEET examinations … Our leader Anupriya Patel ji is pushing with a fresh demand for a separate OBC Ministry,' the leader said.
Newly appointed state president Gautam told The Indian Express that efforts were on to expand the party and strengthen it at the grassroots. 'Our pitch will be centred on social justice and upliftment of the deprived sections,' he said.
After Anupriya took over the party in 2009, Apna Dal (S) saw its best performance in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, when it won 12 seats.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Apna Dal (S) contested two seats. Patel retained her Mirzapur Lok Sabha constituency by more than 37,000 votes, but the party lost Robertsganj.
In a bid to course correct, and to be on surer footing, the party dissolved all of its units and started building its organisation from scratch after the polls. On April 14, the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, the Apna Dal (S) launched a statewide membership drive.
The panchayat polls, which are due early next year, will be the first test for the party after the revamp. Even though the panchayat polls in UP are not contested on party lines, political parties directly or indirectly extend their support to candidates. This time, the party has decided to extend support to candidates in a more official and structured manner, according to insiders.
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The Print
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Op Sindoor, now in NCERT classrooms—‘mission of honour' to counter terror ‘ordered by Pakistan leadership'
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'In the past, India has never shied away from standing up for its citizens. We gave a strong reply in the wars of 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999…. Operation Sindoor was also India's way of stopping terrorism, led by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM) and Pakistan's spy agency, ISI.' 'It was not just a military operation; it was a promise to protect peace and honour the lives lost,' the preparatory and middle stage modules state. The NCERT modules detail the planning of Operation Sindoor and the roles played by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. 'Our Air Force, Army, and Navy worked together to defend India with great skill. Our air defence systems, like the S-400, shot down enemy aircraft at long distances and also prevented enemy drones from causing damage,' the modules add. The modules elaborate how Chief of Defence Staff and the Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force worked closely with intelligence agencies. 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The modules also say that soon after the Indian Army and Air Force destroyed terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Pakistan responded with ceasefire violations along the Line of Control. Starting 8 May 2025, it escalated the conflict by attacking air bases, logistics nodes, forward posts, and Army headquarters—using artillery and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). However, India was well prepared for such threats. 'The integrated air defence and counter-UAS systems, including the S-400, were already in place to effectively counter these attacks,' say the modules. The response shook the Pakistani establishment as 'our air strike breached their air defence, creating visible gaps that the world saw'. Story behind the name 'Operation Sindoor' The modules explain that the origin of the name 'Operation Sindoor'. 'Sindoor is a symbol of marriage, love, and respect. You often see brides wearing Sindoor at weddings. Now, imagine her as a soldier's wife, waiting for him to return. How would she feel if he never came back?… So, this operation has been named in honour of the wives who lost their husbands,' the modules state. The modules also emphasise how a coordinated and extensive exercise was taken to reach out diplomatically by our missions abroad. 'On 18 July 2025, the United States officially declared TRF a foreign terrorist organisation. That was a major move. TRF is widely recognised now as just another face of Lashkar-e-Taiba,' they state. The modules state that many countries stood with India. 'The United Nations Security Council even issued a strong statement, saying that the people who plan, fund, and carry out terrorist attacks must be punished,' they add. The modules also include maps of the targeted sites and photographs of Pakistani drones destroyed by Indian air defence systems. 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NDTV
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NCERT Introduces 2 Special Modules On Operation Sindoor For Classes 3 To 12
New Delhi: The NCERT has introduced two special modules on the Operation Sindoor for classes 3 to 12 describing the mission not just as a military operation but a promise to protect peace and honour the lives lost in the Pahalgam terror attack. The modules which have been introduced as supplementary material in the curriculum come over three months after Operation Sindoor. The modules also state that although Pakistan denied any involvement in the Pahalgam terror attack, it was carried out on "direct orders" by "Pakistan's military and political leadership". "India launched missiles and air strikes, targeting nine terrorist sites situated in Pakistan and Pak-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on May 7, 2025. Out of nine targets which were finally chosen and approved, seven of these terror camps were destroyed by the Indian Army, while the Indian Air Force destroyed terrorist targets in Muridke and Bahawalpur, which are the nerve centres of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed," one of the modules said. The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reiterated government stand that India made sure no civilians were harmed. "Every target was double-checked. Only terrorist bases were attacked. This operation showed that India would not let terror masterminds escape punishment," it added. The two modules are titled 'Operation Sindoor-A Saga of Valour' for preparatory and middle stages or classes 3 to 8, and 'Operation Sindoor-A Mission of Honour and Bravery' for secondary stage or classes 9 to 12. The modules have been created with the aim of raising awareness about India's military power among school children. Calling Operation Sindoor "a triumph of bravery, strategy, and innovation", the modules also mention India's air defence systems, like the S-400, which shot down enemy aircraft at long distances and also prevented enemy drones from causing damage. The modules highlight that people across the country stood united, with candlelight marches held nationwide in solidarity. "Muslim communities in Hyderabad, Lucknow, and Bhopal wore black armbands and openly denounced the attack. In Kashmir, shopkeepers closed their shops in protest. Villages near the border demanded strong action and supported the Armed Forces," the secondary stage module stated. "The local (Kashmiri) population stood up and spoke against terrorists. Their response breaks stereotypes and shows the real voice of peace-loving people," it added. The modules also explain that the name Operation Sindoor was chosen as a tribute to the widows of the victims, symbolising solidarity, empathy, and respect. The modules highlight retaliatory actions by Indian military forces, including the Balakot air strikes in 2019 following the Pulwama terror attack, and more recently, Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam terror attack. "In the past, India has never shied away from standing up for its citizens. We gave a strong reply in the wars of 1947, 1965, 1971, and 1999... Operation Sindoor was also India's way of stopping terrorism, led by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen (HuM) and Pakistan's spy agency, ISI," one of the modules said. "It was not just a military operation; it was a promise to protect peace and honour the lives lost," it said.
