UP budget session starts on stormy note

LUCKNOW, FEB 20

(PTI): The Uttar Pradesh legislature’s budget session started on a stormy note on Monday with opposition Samajwadi Party disrupting Governor Anandiben Patel’s address with “Rajyapal wapas jao” slogans.

The governor continued her speech amid the rancorous slogan-shouting, and said the state government is moving on the path of good governance, security and development. An environment of peace and harmony is being ensured with the policy of zero-tolerance towards crime and corruption, she said.

In her speech that lasted a little over an hour, she referred to the recent Global Investors Summit in Lucknow and various other achievements of the state government, welcomed by members of the ruling party, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, by thumping of the table.

The Samajwadi Party protest was also backed by

RLD, Congress and BSP members who stood in their place as the government read out the speech.

The governor said the investors summit got encouraging response from the global business community and 19,058 proposals worth more than Rs 33.50 lakhcrore were received which are likely to create more than 94 lakh employment opportunities.

In her address, she also condoled the death of former chief minister and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The governor said that in 59.1 percent cases of crimes against women, the culprits have been punished, which is the highest in the country and more than double the national average.

The state government has identified 847 encroachers as land mafia in the state and 196 of them are in jail now, she said, adding four anti-land mafia task forces have been constituted, and more than 70,000 hectare area in the state has been made encroachment-free so far, she said.

Opposition members raised slogans such as ‘Rajyapal wapas jao (gover - nor go back)’ and ‘Pradesh me bulldozer ka aatank (bulldozer-terrorism in the state)’. They also attacked the government over law and order, and threw barbs like “dictatorship” not work out, he strangled her with a charging data cable in the car, police sources said on Monday.

Leader of Opposition in the House Akhilesh Yadav was seen carrying a placard that demanded a “caste census” and equal rights to all. SP leader Shivpal Singh Yadav was seen sitting on the front row after the patch-up with nephew Akhilesh Yadav and being made the SP’s national general secretary.

The governor said there was a continuous decrease in crime cases in the state.

“There has been a decrease of 80.31 per cent in dacoity incidents, 61.51 per cent in robbery incidents, 32.45 per cent in murder cases, 51.65 per cent in rioting cases, 43.18 per cent in kidnapping for ransom and 21.75 per cent in rape cases as compared to the year 2016,” she said, reeling out figures.

According to a senior police official, the prime accused, Gehlot was interrogated at length during police custody and disclosed that Yadav was dissuading him from marrying someone else as they had already solemnised their marriage in 2020.

“She was pleading with him not to go ahead with the marriage fixed by his family with another girl on February 10. However, Gehlot along with his father, two cousins, and two friends hatched the conspiracy and planned to remove the deceased from their way,” said the official.

“He executed the plan and murdered her and informed other co-accused persons about it on the same day and then all of them went ahead with the marriage ceremony,” said the official.

Accused had initiallyplannedto pushheroutofcar

The interrogation of Sahil Gehlot, who is accused of killing his first wife Nikki Yadav, stuffing her body into a fridge, and then, going on to marry another woman the same day, revealed that he had earlier planned her to push her out of a moving car and show her death as an accident, police sources said on Monday.

According to sources, as his plan could not work out, he then strangulated her with a charging data cable in the car at Nigambodh Ghat parking and then stuffed her body inside the fridge in this dhaba. Yadav’s body was found in a fridge at dhaba, owned by Gehlot, in Mitraon village, outskirts of Delhi on Valentine’s Day (February 14). He had allegedly killed her on February 10 and go on to marry another woman on the same day.

Police have also arrested Gehlot’s father, his two cousins Ashish and Naveen (a constable in Delhi Police) and two friends, Amar and Lokesh, for hatching a conspiracy to get rid of Nikki and go ahead with the wedding with another girl.

According to a senior police official, Gehlot was interrogated at length during police custody and disclosed that Yadav was dissuading him from marrying someone else as they had already solemnised their marriage in 2020. “She was pleading with him not to go ahead with the marriage fixed by his family with another girl on February 10. However, he, along with his father, two cousins and two friends, hatched the conspiracy and planned to remove her from their way,” said the official.

“Gehlot executed the plan and murdered her and informed other co-accused persons about it on the same day and then all of them went ahead with the marriage ceremony,” said the official.

Eight more named in Bhiwani murder case: Rajasthan DGP

JAIPUR, FEB 20 (PTI): Rajasthan police chief Umesh Mishra on Monday said they have named eight more accused in the abduction case of two youths whose bodies were found in a car in Haryana, and are making efforts to arrest them. The DGP also said the Rajasthan Police has been investigating the case by staying within the ambit of the rules, and rejected allegations that the force personnel assaulted the wife of an accused in Haryana.

The Rajasthan Police has already arrested one person, named Rinku Saini, in connection with the alleged abduction and murder of Nasir (25) and Junaid alias Juna (35), residents of Ghatmeeka village in Bharatpur district. Their bodies were found inside a burnt car in Loharu in Bhiwani in Haryana on Thursday morning. Mishra said on Monday that apart from Saini, eight more accused have been named for abducting the two men from Gopalgarh police station area of Bharatpur district.

The DGP said that efforts are being made by the Rajasthan Police in collaboration with the Haryana Police to arrest them. Haryana Police counterparts.

Mishra said he has spoken to the Haryana police chief and they are extending full cooperation, a statement said.

The DGP said the Rajasthan Police has taken the local police along with them wherever they have gone to Haryana for any action in the case.

He also denied allegations of assault on the family members of one of the accused, Srikant Pandit, saying the Rajasthan Police had accompanied the local police in Haryana’s Nuh district and lawful action was taken as per the prescribed procedure.

Undemocratic elections

Over 30 persons were reported to have been injured during pre-poll violence in several districts of Nagaland at Mokokchung, Wokha, Longleng and Dimapur during the past 50 days while several vehicles and some properties were also damaged in clashes between supporters of rival candidates. These incidents are not unexpected given the fact that most of the areas have a history of poll-related violence. The saying, prevention is better than cure is the only method that can either prevent such incidents. By now, the state government and especially the district authorities should have done some proper study on the recurrence of pre-poll violence in some districts. If violence is used strategically to demobilize opponents, it follows that parties should be most interested in deploying violence in areas where it matters most, such as locations where they are concerned about losing. Politicians often capitalise on the emotions and beliefs of common people that can be regional, ethnic, and religious. They become an integral part of the political process. These values and beliefs become extremely intense and often lead to violence in the struggle for political supremacy. Violence around elections is not only dangerous for those trying to vote, but has broader repercussions that contribute to instability. In fact, the clashes happen primarily because of the habitual offenders who have been given the biggest space during elections. Violence is seen as a tool to ensure that the supporters of the rival candidate are discouraged from exercising a free choice and also to affect electoral outcomes. Violence can also result in harming democracy itself. Particularly violent elections have the potential to scare voters away from democracy and facilitate proxy voting. If pre-poll violence is not effectively prevented and discouraged by stringent punishments, it will only lead to loss of confidence in the sanctity democracy when elections and violence become synonymous. Electoral violence is often treated by the popular press as resulting from age-old ethnic conflicts or high emotions at election time. Habitual offenders are the main perpetrators of poll-related violence and it refers to any group whose main goal is to obtain profits and money through illegal activities. Such groups can perpetuate their viability either by threatening or using violence, by exploiting the thin dividing line between minor and major offence. Those who are prone to poll violence are mostly youths coming from dysfunctional families or economically deprived sections who have been enticed to sell their services for poll duties as part of youth brigades. By selling their services for ‘election duty’ anti-social elements have also made use of threat or force during elections as an acceptable means to fight democratic elections. The issue of political violence has once again come to the fore in the wake of the recent incidents and these also seek urgent attention of the public besides the government. The fact that till late, gangs of youth moving around in vehicles across the constituencies, is nothing but a provocative action especially in sensitive areas. The state administration and police have to gear up and sanitise sensitive areas and enforce the rule of law. It is seen that when the law enforcement agencies attempt to wear the gloves, it has only aggravated the situation. No effort should be spared to enforce public peace and security and offenders should be dealt with stringently.