LUCKNOW, Feb 25 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on Saturday as Leader of Opposition Akhilesh Yadav sought to corner the state government over the killing of a prime witness in the 2005 BSP MLA murder case, drawing a sharp retort from chief minister Yogi Adityanath.
Adityanath alleged that Samajwadi Party not only nurtured criminals, but also made them MLAs and MPs, and said his government will “decimate” (mitti me mila denge) the mafia.
Umesh Pal, the prime witness in the 2005 murder of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead outside his residence here, the police said.
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Police on Saturday registered an FIR against several people, including former MP Atiq Ahmed. The mafia-turned-politician is currently lodged in a Gujarat jail. Atiq was a SP MP from Phulpur parliamentary constituency (in Prayagraj).
When the House assembled for the chief minister’s speech at the Governor’s address at 11 am, the SP and Yadav tried to corner the government over Pal’s killing.
After the house proceedings began, Chief Whip of the Samajwadi Party Manoj Kumar Pandey demanded a discussion on the Prayagraj incident.
Yadav said, “The way in which a witness and a security personnel have been shot dead in Prayagraj, what is the double engine government doing?”
He added if they (the injured) had got some treatment, their lives would have been saved.
Speaker of UP Legislative Assembly Satish Mahana said no notice has been received for discussion, and it was decided in advance that the Leader of the House (the CM) will speak on the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address.
The chief minister termed the Prayagraj incident “sad” and said the government has taken cognizance of it.
He said, “I would assure the House that the action which has been taken under the zero tolerance policy, its result will be out soon.”
Without taking any names, the UP chief minister said, “Who had nurtured the criminals and the mafia? The mafia whose name is emerging in the Prayagraj incident, is it not true that the Samajwadi Party had made him an MP.”
“He was a mafia nurtured by the SP. Our government is working to break its back. We will decimate (Mitti me mila denge) them,” Adityanath, who spoke for more than two hours in the Assembly, said.
Further attacking the Samajwadi Party, Adityanath said, “They are the mentors of criminals, and they have been doing it continuously. Crime flows in their veins. They have learnt nothing except crime. The entire state knows about this, and today they are giving justification.”
“The mafia leader who had perpetrated this act yesterday, is from Uttar Pradesh, and became MLA and MP because of the assistance of the Samajwadi Party. Is it not true that in 1996, that mafia leader became a MLA from Allahabad West seat. In 2004, these people made him the Lok Sabha MP. Our government will finish them off, he said.
Referring to the address by UP Governor Anandiben Patel, Adityanath said, “People who could not give respect to a woman Governor in the House, how can they give respect to women?”
He also took a jibe at the SP while referring to SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s “boys commit mistakes” quote.
Pointing to the state guest house incident in 1995 at Lucknow, Adityanath said their (SP) behaviour had become public during that time.
To this, Akhilesh Yadav objected, saying, “Netaji has been honoured by the Centre…they should feel ashamed.”
The guest house incident took place when Mayawati had withdrawn support from the Mulayam Singh Yadav government, reducing it to a minority.
According to reports, agitated SP workers cornered Mayawati at a guest house and besides hurling abuses, allegedly cut off the electricity and water supply. As Mayawati found herself surrounded by a mob of angry SP men, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Brahmdutt Dwivedi had come to her rescue.
The House passed the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address.
