National News
Mulayam Singh Yadav: The three-time UP CM was the ‘Dhartiputra’ of national politics
He was known as ‘Dhartiputra’ and remained a true son of the soil. His style of politics was firmly grounded and success and failure did not affect him.
Mulayam Singh Yadav was one of the last of his generation of politicians who kept his values intact and did not corporatize his politics.
For him, the last man in the line remained important – whether it was from his family, his village or his state. He was a friend of friends and even turned his foes into friends.
Mulayam Singh had first contested the Assembly election from Karhal in 1967 on Ram Manohar Lohia’s Samyukta Socialist Party ticket.
Groomed by the likes of Ram Manohar Lohia and Raj Narain, Yadav served eight terms as the member of the state Assembly.
In 1975, during Indira Gandhi’s imposition of the Emergency, Yadav was arrested and kept in custody for 19 months.
He first became a state minister in 1977. Later, in 1980, he became the president of the Lok Dal in Uttar Pradesh which later became a part of the Janata Dal.
In 1982, he was elected leader of the opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council and held that post until 1985. When the Lok Dal party split, Yadav launched the Krantikari Morcha party.
Mulayam Singh Yadav first became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in 1989.
Being a shrewd politician, he had the uncanny knack of sensing the upheavals in politics.
After the collapse of the V.P. Singh national government in November 1990, Yadav joined Chandra Shekhar’s Janata Dal (Socialist) party and continued in office as the chief minister with the support of the Congress.
His government fell when the Congress withdrew support in April 1991 and Mulayam Singh lost to the BJP in the midterm elections.
In 1992, Yadav founded his own Samajwadi Party and then allied with the Bahujan Samaj Party for the elections to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, held in November 1993.
The alliance between the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party prevented the return of the BJP to power in the state and Yadav became the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh with the support of Congress and Janata Dal.
Mulayam’s stand on the movement for demanding separate statehood for Uttarakhand was as much controversial as his stand on Ayodhya movement in 1990 was.
The firing on Ayodhya activists and then Uttarakhand activists at Muzaffarnagar on October 2, 1994 remained black spots of his regime.
In 1995, the SP-BSP alliance broke with the infamous State Guest House incident but Mulayam Singh Yadav made sure that his party bounced back to power in 2003.
He was sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the third time in September 2003.
Yadav contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from Mainpuri while he was still Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. However, he later resigned from the Lok Sabha and continued as chief minister till 2007 when the SP lost to the BSP in the state elections.
Mulayam Singh Yadav was one of the few politicians who blatantly promoted nepotism and had no qualms about it. At any given time, there were about a dozen family members in politics in Uttar Pradesh.
“He always pushed us into politics and asked us to make a career for ourselves. It was always he who decided what was best for us and took keen interest in our careers,” said one of his nephews.
Mulayam Singh valued his friends deeply. Whether it was Beni Prasad Varma, or Azam Khan or Mohan Singh or Janeshwar Mishra – each one had a special place in his life.
His war with Balram Singh Yadav and Darshan Singh Yadav in Etawah had acquired legendary proportions, but Mulayam, over a period of time, managed to change his equations and both became his friends.
Mulayam shared a love-hate relationship with the media. His famous ‘Halla Bol’ agitation against some newspapers grabbed national headlines.
However, Mulayam made sure that his individual relationship with journalists never deteriorated. Even if he ticked off a scribe for his writing, he made sure to call out to him and mend fences at the earliest.
For party workers, he remained their beloved ‘Netaji’ – one who was always approachable and available.
“I do not remember a single occasion when I went to meet Mulayam Singh and came back without doing so. He remembered even the smallest party worker by name and it was this that endeared him to everyone,” said a senior party MLA.
Mulayam Singh Yadav was one chief minister who enjoyed full loyalty from his bureaucrats. He took tough decisions and his officers implemented them. In fact, many claim that the politicisation of bureaucracy began only after Mulayam became the chief minister.
In the past five years, after Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins of the party, Mulayam had withdrawn into a shell.
The changing dynamics in the party reduced the stream of visitors into a trickle and Mulayam – for the first time, became a lonely man.
“He would often ask us if there was anyone waiting to meet him. He loved going to the party office and relished the hustle-bustle there. At home, he had almost nothing to do and this bothered him,” said one of his close staff members.
Mulayam was disturbed by the recent happenings in his family — daughter-in-law Aparna joining the BJP, the split between son Akhilesh and brother Shivpal. He made no public mention of it but it was clear that he was deeply affected by what was happening.
The demise of his second wife Sadhana Gupta Yadav in July this year, sources say, left Mulayam distressed and lonely and this led to a deterioration in his physical condition.
Crime
Delhi Police seize ‘Punjab sarkar’ car with cash, liquor; Mann govt says ‘fake’
New Delhi, Jan 30: Delhi Police have filed a case after a vehicle labelled “Punjab government” was intercepted with cash, liquor and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) pamphlets, an official said. The Punjab government, however, said the car had a fake registration plate and was different from the registered model.
The car was found on Wednesday and a large amount of cash and liquor was seized, police said.
The car had a “Punjab government” sticker, said the officials, adding that AAP pamphlets were also found in the car.
Delhi Police said the vehicle was found parked outside Punjab Bhawan on Copernicus Marg in the national capital. When searched, the cops said they found cash amounting to Rs 8 lakh, liquor bottles with Punjab stamps, and AAP pamphlets inside the car.
As per the model code of conduct in force in Delhi ahead of the Assembly elections, people are barred from carrying more than Rs 50,000 in cash.
A case has been registered at the Tilak Marg police station.
The Punjab government soon issued a denial after the news came out. The government said in a statement that as per the official record, the car was registered in the name of Major Anubhav Shivpuri, who was posted at the Army Dental College, Pathankot, three years ago. He is a permanent resident of Khadki in Maharashtra, it said.
“It has come to the knowledge of the Department of Transport (Govt of Punjab), that a vehicle carrying registration number PB35AE1342 has been apprehended in Delhi carrying illegal liquor and some unaccounted cash. It has been alleged in the media reports that the vehicle has a sticker of Punjab Govt on it,” the statement read.
The Punjab government said the registered vehicle model on the registration number PB35AE1342 was the Ford Eco Sport of make year 2018 but the actual vehicle apprehended by the police belongs to the Hyundai Creta series. “This confirms that the vehicle’s number plate is forged and fake. High-Security Registration Plate(HSRP) is mandatory for all vehicles and the registration plate visible in the video is an ordinary one, without the features of HSRP, hence easy to forge. Also, we have searched our records and found that no such vehicle is owned or hired by Govt of Punjab. The apprehended vehicle does not belong to Govt of Punjab at all.”
The AAP also released a statement, saying the car seizure was a “planted stunt and utterly bogus”.
National News
Prez Murmu, V-P Dhankhar, PM Modi pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat
New Delhi, Jan 30: Tributes were paid to Mahatma Gandhi at the Gandhi Smriti Memorial at Rajghat on his death anniversary, honouring his immense contributions to the nation and his unwavering commitment to truth and non-violence.
President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the solemn ceremony, joined by other senior leaders in remembering the Father of the Nation.
Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948. Since then, the day has been observed as Martyrs’ Day, also known as ‘Shaheed Diwas’ or ‘Sarvodaya Day,’ to honour him and countless others who sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom.
As a tribute, the devotional song ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram,’ which was popularised by Mahatma Gandhi himself, was played during the ceremony. The bhajan, set to tune by Vishnu Digambar Paluskar in Raga Mishra Gara, has long been associated with Mahatma Gandhi’s spiritual and political journey.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi took to X to express his tribute. “Tributes to Pujya Bapu on his Punya Tithi. His ideals motivate us to build a developed India. I also pay tributes to all those martyred for our nation and recall their service as well as sacrifices,” he wrote.
BJP President and Union Minister J.P. Nadda also paid his respects, emphasising Gandhi’s philosophy of self-reliance.
“I pay my heartfelt tribute to the eternal worshiper of truth and non-violence, the great leader of the Indian freedom movement, ‘Father of the Nation’ Mahatma Gandhi, on his death anniversary,” he posted on X.
“Bapu’s ideas centred on Swadeshi and self-reliance are paving the way for an Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat. His life ideals will always inspire the entire humanity,” he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in his tribute, highlighted Mahatma Gandhi’s role in uniting the nation and his global impact.
“On behalf of the grateful nation, I pay my tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, the leading figure of the Indian freedom movement, who popularised the Indian values of truth, non-violence, and the fight against injustice across the world, on his death anniversary,” he wrote on X.
“Mahatma Gandhi strengthened the freedom movement by binding the country in the thread of unity. His thoughts towards cleanliness, self-reliance, and the empowerment of rural India will continue to inspire the countrymen,” he added.
Mahatma Gandhi, revered as the Father of the Nation, was the architect of India’s freedom struggle, championing non-violence and civil disobedience as powerful tools against colonial rule. His teachings continue to inspire movements for justice and peace across the world.
National News
Shocker! Dalit Woman Dragged Out Of Collector’s Office In Madhya Pradesh; Viral Video Sparks Outrage
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A video showing a woman—said to be dalit, being dragged out of the Collector’s office in Madhya Pradesh’s Singrauli district has surfaced on social media. The video has garnered thousands of views in a couple hours and have sparked a debate on the platform.
In the video it can be seen that a female cop and another lady forcefully dragging the dalit woman on the floor in the Collector’s office. According to the tweet, the incident took place on Wednesday during the Collector’s public hearing.
According to information, on Wednesday, a public hearing was organised at the Collectorate in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh. A dalit woman who attended the public hearing, allegedly caused ruckus and was dragged out of the collectorate. A member of the public recorded the incident and uploaded it on social media garnering thousands of views. Information about the woman’s identity is still unknown.
Netizens React
Many users have expressed their outrage and condemnation of the authorities’ actions, highlighting systemic issues of caste-based discrimination and the mistreatment of marginalized communities.
Some comments call for immediate accountability and justice for the woman involved, urging higher authorities to intervene. “Dalit or not a Dalit, this is inhuman and concerned officials must be suspended”, wrote a user.
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