Page 2 - Samajwadi Party

Maurya has been instructed not to indulge in such religious issues: Shivpal

Amid a controversy over Swami Prasad Maurya's remarks on the Ramcharitmanas, senior Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Tuesday said he has been instructed not to indulge in such religious issues. "All of us have said that we want to stay away from religious and communal issues. Swami Prasad Maurya has been instructed not to indulge in such religious issues. The BJP always wants that this issue should be raked up," he told reporter here. "We follow the ideals of Lord Ram. We are the descendants of Lord Krishna. Our country is a secular country. We are secular. We do not want to play on the pitch of the BJP. We are Samajwadi people," he added. A cabinet minister in the previous BJP government in the state, Maurya had resigned and joined the SP before the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. He contested the election from the Fazilnagar Assembly seat in Kushinagar district but lost. He was later sent to the legislative council by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. On January 24, an FI

Samajwadi Party holds protest outside UP Assembly ahead of Budget Session

The Samajwadi Party (SP) MLAs protested against the policies of the state government outside the Uttar Pradesh assembly in Lucknow ahead of the commencement of the Budget Session on Monday

Allahabad HC issues notice to complainant in Azam Khan's plea, seeks reply

The Allahabad High Court, while hearing the transfer application filed by Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Tuesday, issued a notice to the complainant and sought his reply

UP Assembly to decide on Azam Khans's son after receiving court order

Months after Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan was disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, his son Abdullah Azam Khan possibly faces the same fate after a Moradabad court sentenced him to two years in jail in a 15-year-old case. Assembly officials on Tuesday said they are waiting for the copy of the Moradabad court's judgment and will take a decision on declaring the Swar seat vacant after receiving it. The Representation of the People Act lists offences which can lead to disqualification of legislators, and also states that anyone sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified "from the date of such conviction" and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time in jail. "Once information about the judgment comes, a decision will be taken regarding declaration of vacancy (of the Swar seat represented by Abdullah Azam Khan)," a senior official of the Uttar Pradesh assembly told PTI. On Monday, the Moradabad court awarded the jail

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav flays rise in milk prices, bus fares

The former Uttar Pradesh CM said the first increase in prices of milk will eventually end up in poor people reducing the quantity of milk that they give to their children

SP's Akhilesh, Maurya takes on RSS chief for 'no caste before God' remark

Taking Mohan Bhagwat on after his remark that all people are equal before God, Samajwadi Party leaders have asked the RSS chief to clarify the ground reality of the caste system and get casteist comments removed from Ramcharitmanas. At a public event in Mumbai Sunday, Bhagwat had said everyone is equal in the eyes of God. All these things were created by priests, which is wrong, he said. Bhagwat's comment came against the backdrop of the controversy triggered by SP's Swami Prasad Maurya after he recently demanded the "removal of portions from Hindu epic Ramcharitmanas that he said denigrated Dalits and women. Reacting to Bhagwat's remarks that caste doesn't exist before God, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav tweeted in Hindi on Monday, Please clarify what is the reality of the caste system before human beings. While Yadav limited himself to this comment, Maurya reiterated his demand to expunge the offending portions from Ramcharitmanas. "By saying that the caste system was created by pundit

State scan: Tulsidas configured in Uttar Pradesh's caste strategy

The SP is positioning itself as the voice of the OBCs and Dalits, which, respectively, constitute nearly 40 and 21 per cent of the population in UP

Akhilesh Yadav's plane denied landing permission by UP govt, alleges SP

The Samajwadi Party on Thursday alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government has denied its chief Akhilesh Yadav permission to land his plane in Moradabad, while the district administration denied the charge, saying the landing was cancelled due to ongoing construction work. "As per a pre-announced programme, national president Akhilesh Yadav was supposed to attend a function in Moradabad on February 4 but the Yogi Adityanath government is not allowing the plane to land," the party said in a tweet. "This is a very condemnable act. The BJP's arrogance will end soon!" it added. When contacted, City Magistrate Jyoti Singh told PTI that due to the construction work currently underway on the airstrip, landing is not possible for any plane. According to the schedule, Yadav had to land at Mudha Pandey airstrip on Saturday.

Ramcharitmanas row: VHP attacks SP on Swami Prasad Maurya's elevation

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has hit out at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav after he appointed Swami Prasad Maurya as party's general secretary despite his controversial remark on Ramcharitmanas

Akhilesh Yadav shown black flags during Maa Pitambra 108 Mahayagya in UP

"I respect all religions. But if in the name of religion, a community or caste is humiliated, then it is objectionable," Yadav said

Ayodhya seer announces bounty on SP leader for Ramcharitmanas remark

Standing firmly by his reservation over some verses of Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas, SP leader Maurya took on mahants for announcing a bounty on his head

Unhinged by FIR, SP leader Maurya stands ground on Ramcharitmanas remarks

Booked for his comments on the Ramcharitmanas, Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya has refused to retract his remarks saying he had spoken on a particular verse in Hindu epic poem and not about Lord Ram or any religion. Maurya, a prominent OBC leader in Uttar Pradesh, largely stuck to his stand in an interview with PTI on Tuesday, but asserted his comments, which triggered a row and embarrassed his party, were made in personal capacity and not as a member of the SP. "At the time of giving the statement, I had said this is my personal statement," he said. Maurya kicked up a controversy recently by alleging that certain verses of the Ramcharitmanas "insult" a large section of society on the basis of caste and demanded that these be "banned". Asked if he still stood by his statement, the SP leader replied, "Have I said anything wrong that I will go back?" "I give respect to all religions, but no religion or anyone can have the permission to hurl abuses.... I have spoken about

BJP might lose all 80 Lok Sabha seats in UP in 2024, says SP chief Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the BJP might taste defeat in all 80 parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 General Elections. "BJP is baar ho sakta hai saari 80 seats haar jaaye (BJP might taste defeat in all 80 seats)," Yadav said. "The party that claimed to rule for decades -- its leader said that it will be there for (the next) 50 years -- is now counting its days. Its national president should visit two medical colleges in the state and he will understand how many seats they are going to win," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. Yadav also asked the BJP, which is holding its state executive meet here, to pass a resolution to provide Rs 1 crore and a government job to families of custodial death victims. "The BJP practises discrimination. Will it pass a resolution to provide Rs 1 crore financial help and a government job to the family of Balwant Singh? It should pass a resolution to provide Rs 1 crore financial assistance and a government

Congress' income through electoral trusts less than TRS, SP, AAP: Report

The BJP received Rs 351.50 crore or 72.17 per cent of the total donations made to political parties by Electoral Trusts in 2021-22, while the Congress received less than the TRS, Samajwadi Party, AAP and the YSR Congress, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms. Electoral trust is a non-profit organisation formed in India for orderly receiving of contributions from corporate entities and individuals to political parties. It aims at improving transparency in the usage of funds for election-related expenses. The BJP received nineteen times more donations than the Congress in 2021-22 from electoral trust, the ADR data showed. The total donations to the BJP were over 2.5 times of what went to the other nine parties. The Association for Democratic Reforms, in its analysis of Electoral Trusts, said Rs 351.50 crore or 72.17 per cent of the total donations received by all political partiesin 2021-22 went to the BJP. According to ADR, the Congress received Rs 18.44 crore from .

SP's Pawan Pandey claims BJP leaders diverted Ram Path construction funds

Samajwadi Party leader and ex-state minister, Pawan Pandey, has accused ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government of "looting" commission in name of "compensation", and neglecting traders of Ayodhya

CM Yogi Adityanath framing Samajwadi Party leaders in false cases: Akhilesh

The state government's action against SP MLA Irfan Solanki and Deep Narain was a strong message to the party to act in a similar fashion when it comes to power, the SP chief said

Samajwadi Party, RLD chiefs will not join Rahul's Bharat Jodo Yatra in UP

Samajwadi Party national secretary and state spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said, "The SP president is busy with his programmes and there is no likelihood of his joining the yatra"

SP to contest all seats in Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections next year

The Samajwadi Party (SP) has announced that it will contest all seats in the Madhya Pradesh (MP) Assembly polls, scheduled next year

Will remain in SP till last breath 'irrespective of post': Shivpal

Speculation has been rife that Shivpal could be named the leader of the opposition or could be made the state president of the party, but the SP leadership has maintained a silence on the issue

Small parties in UP likely to join hands with SP for 2024 LS polls

After the Samajwadi Party's victory in Mainpuri bypoll and rapprochement between Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, small parties in Uttar Pradesh are likely to approach the main opposition party in the state ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls. Parties like the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), Mahaan Dal, and Janvadi Party (Socialist) had distanced themselves from the SP after its defeat in the 2022 state assembly elections. However, post Mainpuri Lok Sabha bypoll, these political outfits, which had contested the state elections in alliance with the SP, have once again started showing interest in the Akhilesh Yadav-led party. In the recently concluded bypolls in the state, the SP retained the high-profile Mainpuri seat, while the BJP wrested Rampur Sadar assembly seat from it. The SP ally Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) also won Khatauli assembly bypoll by defeating the ruling party. When contacted, SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar said, "What are the problems in initiating