Lucknow, Aug 19: As the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided several locations linked to senior Samajwadi Party (SP) jailed leader Azam Khan on Wednesday, the party criticised the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government, stating that it has “nothing left” to offer the public, and hence is resorting to “harassing” people associated with the previous governments.

This came as the ED carried out searches in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur and Saharanpur and Delhi in connection with Azam Khan on Wednesday. Ten locations, including the Mohammad Ali Jauhar University and its trust, were searched as part of the case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Speaking to media, SP spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party engages in vindictive politics. It has nothing of its own to offer. Whenever it comes to power, it pursues vindictive politics against previous governments.”

He accused the State government of lacking original ideas for public welfare and destroying the schemes that were introduced by SP National President Akhilesh Yadav when he was the Chief Minister.

“Look at Uttar Pradesh; no major work has been done in the last 11 years. They are replacing plaques at Samajwadi Party projects and putting the BJP’s name on them, harassing Azam Khan in Rampur, and destroying Akhilesh Yadav’s schemes,” he said.

“The BJP has nothing left to offer the country, which is why it is harassing people associated with previous governments,” the SP spokesperson stated.

According to the officials, the raids are aimed at tracing proceeds of crime, along with digital evidence, documents, and financial records connected to the diversion and utilisation of government funds.

Uttar Pradesh Congress also criticised the ED raids and claimed that this was being done to target the jailed SP leader.

Speaking to media, UP Congress President Ajay Rai said, “It is done to target and weaken Azam Khan.”

Azam Khan is currently serving a sentence in Rampur Jail alongside his son, Abdullah Azam.

The controversy over Jauhar University erupted after the Rampur Development Authority (RDA) flagged multiple violations inside the varsity, claiming that 38 out of 40 buildings were made without necessary approvals. The RDA had also asked the university to remove them on its own within a time frame, failing which the district administration will step in to raze them.

The order to demolish 38 buildings at Jauhar University caused a political upheaval. In late July, the Uttar Pradesh government’s Divisional Commissioner stayed, for now, the demolition order issued against 38 campus buildings by the District Magistrate of Rampur.

While the Samajwadi Party openly entered the political battle over the issue, uncertainty surrounding the future of Jauhar University continues.

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, on Wednesday announced a five-fold increase in the annual coverage under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, raising it from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh per beneficiary family.

Making the announcement in the Legislative Assembly, Vijay said access to medical care was a fundamental right and should not remain a privilege available only to those who could afford it. The enhanced coverage is part of a series of measures aimed at strengthening the State’s healthcare system and ensuring that financial or geographical barriers do not prevent people from receiving quality treatment.

Chief Minister Vijay also announced a major support package for all 234 members of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. Under the initiative, every MLA will be provided with a government vehicle to facilitate travel within their constituencies and attend to the grievances of residents.

CM Vijay said legislators were required to travel frequently across their constituencies to meet people, inspect development works and coordinate with government officials. Providing them with official vehicles would enable them to discharge these responsibilities more effectively while promoting transparency and corruption-free governance, he added.

The government pointed out that several members of the present Assembly had been elected for the first time and that some came from economically modest backgrounds. Such legislators might not possess the financial resources or logistical support required to travel extensively and carry out their duties as public representatives, CM Vijay said.

The announcement followed a request by VCK MLA Jothimani, who told the House that legislators could not function efficiently without adequate logistical support and urged the government to provide them with vehicles.

Apart from the government vehicle, each MLA will receive a monthly allowance of ₹75,000 to meet expenses relating to the driver, fuel and vehicle maintenance.

The government will also provide a grant of ₹25,000 a month to enable every legislator to appoint a secretary to assist with constituency-related correspondence and other official work. The measures are expected to improve the functioning of constituency offices and help legislators respond more promptly to public grievances.

The government, however, did not immediately disclose the total financial outlay required for providing vehicles and allowances to all MLAs or when the new benefits would come into effect.

Srinagar: Police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district said on Wednesday that they have booked a BJP Kisan Morcha leader for cheating and intimidation.

Officials said police in Pulwama district have registered a case of cheating and criminal intimidation against Aijaz Ahmad Shah, a BJP Kisan Morcha leader in the district.

The case has been registered against Shah at the Tral police station under sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty inducing someone to deliver property, money or valuables) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC, officials said.

The officials said since the alleged crime took place in 2022, the case has been registered under the IPC, which was replaced by the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) in July 2024.

The complaint alleged that Shah took money from him on the pretext of getting him help from police in a matter.

Shah, who was appointed vice president of the Pulwama Kisan Morcha last November, faces eight similar cases registered in at least four police stations in the district since 2016.

This was the third case registered against Shah this year. The development follows the registration of an FIR against BJP’s Pulwama district president Showkat Gayoor on August 11 for alleged extortion and threats.

The BJP has suspended Gayoor from all positions pending party disciplinary proceedings against him.

BJP leader Altaf Thakur, who also belongs to the Tral area, refused to comment on the latest FIR against Shah.

In the past, police have also booked some political leaders and activists for extortion and cheating, basically by promising government jobs and help from police and local officers.

In almost all such cases, the accused had made false promises by misusing the name of the political parties they belonged to.

During the peak years of terrorism, many such dishonest activists belonging to different political parties were accused of extorting money from parents of youths taken into custody for questioning by the security forces in terror-related cases.