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Mulayam Singh Yadav: The three-time UP CM was the ‘Dhartiputra’ of national politics

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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

Operation VISTA 1.0: Delhi Police arrest seven Bangladeshi nationals for violating visa conditions

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New Delhi, Aug 11: In a major crackdown on foreign nationals violating immigration norms, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police’s Central District successfully carried out “Operation VISTA 1.0” (Visa Status Verification), leading to the apprehension of seven Bangladeshi nationals for violating the conditions of their visas and overstaying in India beyond the permissible period.

The operation was launched as part of an ongoing drive to identify foreign nationals residing illegally in the national capital by overstaying or breaching visa regulations. During the special verification campaign, police teams conducted extensive checks at hotels, guest houses, and other establishments accommodating foreign nationals across the Central District.

According to Delhi Police, the operation gained momentum when a police team patrolling the Nabi Karim area received specific information from a reliable source that several Bangladeshi nationals whose visas had expired were residing illegally there. Acting on the information, the police apprehended one individual, identified as MD Nazrul Islam Foisal, a resident of Noakhali district in Bangladesh.

During questioning, Foisal disclosed that he was a Bangladeshi national residing in the Nabi Karim area. He produced his Bangladeshi passport, which was verified on the spot. Police found that his passport had been issued on February 8, and that his authorised stay in India was valid only until August 7. However, he was found residing in the country beyond the permitted period without obtaining any extension or authorisation from the competent authorities.

During sustained interrogation, Foisal revealed that several other Bangladeshi nationals were also living in Delhi after violating the conditions of their visas. The information was immediately shared with Inspector Sandeep Dabas, In-Charge of AATS, Central District, who directed the formation of a dedicated team to verify the information and take necessary action.

Based on the disclosure, police teams conducted raids at multiple locations in Delhi, including Madanpur Khaddar and Janta Flats in Sarita Vihar. During the raids, six more Bangladeshi nationals were located and apprehended. Their passports, visas and travel documents were thoroughly examined.

Verification of their immigration records revealed that all seven individuals had entered India legally on Double Entry Visas. Under the conditions of these visas, each visitor was permitted to stay in India for a maximum of 15 days per visit. However, despite the validity of their visas, all seven had exceeded the permissible duration of stay without obtaining any extension or authorisation from the authorities.

Police said the violation constituted a breach of visa conditions and attracted legal action under the applicable provisions governing the stay of foreign nationals in India.

Following verification, all seven Bangladeshi nationals were produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which initiated legal proceedings against them. The FRRO subsequently issued Restriction Orders directing that the individuals be detained pending deportation proceedings.

The seven apprehended individuals have been identified as MD Nazrul Islam Foisal, 26, Mohammad Amjad Hossen, 26, Moinul Hossain, 24, Alamin, 25, MD Kawasae Ali, 25, Amran Hossain, 29, and Afranul Haque Bhuyan Sami, 23, all residents of different districts of Bangladesh.

During interrogation, the accused admitted that they had entered India on valid Double Entry Visas and were residing in various parts of Central and South Delhi. Detailed scrutiny of their travel documents established that although their visas remained valid, they had violated the mandatory condition restricting each stay to a maximum of 15 days.

Police officials said all facts were cross-verified with immigration records before legal action was initiated. The authorities emphasised that the action was taken strictly in accordance with immigration laws and established procedures.

As part of the proceedings, police seized and verified seven Bangladeshi passports, seven Indian Double Entry Visas and seven mobile phones. These documents have been taken into possession for verification and further legal action.

The apprehended individuals have been shifted to the Detention Centre at Sewa Dham, Shahzada Bagh, Sarai Rohilla, where they will remain until the completion of deportation formalities.

Police further stated that no previous criminal involvement of any of the seven Bangladeshi nationals has come to light during verification. The present action pertains solely to violations of visa conditions arising from overstaying beyond the permissible period prescribed under their visas.

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Don’t panic, don’t run away; listen to HM Shah’s reply: BJP sharpens attack on Rahul Gandhi

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New Delhi, Aug 11: Amid the ongoing Parliament stand-off, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched a scathing critique of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, accusing them of holding the House to ransom and exploiting the students’ protest to gain political mileage.

In a pointed attack at the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi, the BJP claimed that his arrogance was a key reason behind the Parliament logjam.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Constitution makers would never have imagined that the temple of democracy would become ‘hostage’ to whims, fancies, and the arrogant attitude of any ‘Shehzada’, a pointed reference to LoP Rahul Gandhi.

“Bhaago mat, daro mat, aur kaan kholkar .. grih mantri ka jawaab suno,” the BJP MP said in Hindi, roughly translating into “don’t run, don’t get frightened, and listen to Home Minister’s reply with open ears”.

Pinning the blame on Rahul and Congress for the Parliament washout, he said that the Opposition’s behaviour over the past few days clearly exhibited their disruption tactics and blatant bid to derail the House proceedings.

He said the government was quick and prompt in addressing the issues raised by the Opposition, but they didn’t keep their word.

“They (Opposition) have been consistently changing the goalposts. First, they demanded stern action against the paper leak mafia and strict regulations to address flaws in the NEET examinations. A new bill was approved by the Cabinet and passed by Parliament, the Education Minister stepped down from his post, and the cases against unruly elements during the Jantar Mantar demonstration were also withdrawn,” the BJP national spokesperson said.

Trivedi stated that the government also agreed to the Opposition’s demand for the Home Minister’s reply, but they decided to run away from debate.

“They insisted on Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on the Delhi Police crackdown. The government and Home Minister are ready to give a reply in the House, but the Congress party is bent on disrupting the House by now allowing it to function,” the BJP MP pointed out, accusing them of holding the House to ransom.

Claiming that Congress has a history of ‘running away’, he stated that whenever the government readies its reply on any issue, the Opposition develops cold feet and runs away from the House. He cited previous instances, including the Prime Minister’s reply on the Manipur crisis.

“You must not be frightened; you must not run away from debate. You are neither going to Ranchi, nor are you listening to debate that you are demanding,” he said.

Further taking a swipe at ‘Chhattron ki Goonj’, a Congress event to mobilise students’ anger over paper leaks, Trivedi said that the agony and pain of protesting students was not audible to Rahul and the Congress party because of their duplicity.

“Congress party is least worried about the causes and interests of students and is rather milking the issue for political point-scoring, and their leader (Rahul Gandhi) is leaving no opportunity to hold the House to ransom,” he said.

“When Parliament session is underway, he runs away from the House, and after the session is over, he heads on jaunts at foreign locations,” said Trivedi in a bitter taunt.

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Mixed response to Jharkhand bandh, ABVP workers held during protest in Ranchi

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Ranchi : The bandh called by the BJP across Jharkhand and the Assembly gherao programme organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Ranchi on Tuesday, in protest against the police lathicharge on students agitating over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations, witnessed a mixed response.

While BJP workers staged demonstrations and blocked roads at several locations in the state capital, ABVP activists attempting to march towards the Jharkhand Assembly were stopped and detained by the police.

Despite sporadic disruptions, normal life remained largely unaffected in many parts of Ranchi during the morning hours. Most commercial establishments stayed open and vehicular movement was largely smooth across the city.

From around 8 a.m., BJP workers took to the streets in several localities, urging traders to down shutters in support of the bandh. Road blockades were reported from Kanke Road, Ratu Road, Harmu Chowk, Argora Chowk, Bodeya and near the CMPDI gate.

Protesters also burnt tyres at several places, disrupting traffic for brief periods before police personnel cleared the roads and restored movement.

In Namkum, BJP workers staged a sit-in protest at Bazaar Chowk around 11 a.m. and blocked the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway after burning tyres. Police later detained the protesters and removed the blockade, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway.

A similar protest was organised in Lowadih under the leadership of BJP Mandal president Ashok Gop. According to police, 11 bandh supporters were detained from Lowadih and 17 from Namkum and taken to the local police station.

However, the impact of the bandh was uneven across the state capital. Markets remained open and traffic moved normally in several areas, including Main Road, Bariatu and Morabadi.

Meanwhile, the ABVP’s Assembly gherao programme saw activists from across the state gather near the old Assembly complex to protest Monday’s police action against students associated with the JPSC-JSSC movement.

Sloganeering activists sat on the road and attempted to proceed towards the Assembly premises, but were stopped by police.

A brief scuffle ensued between protesters and security personnel during the standoff.

Police subsequently detained the activists and escorted them into buses. In a dramatic show of protest, some student leaders climbed onto bus roofs and continued raising slogans, while others lay down on the road in front of and behind the vehicles.

Outside Ranchi, the bandh had a more pronounced impact in several districts, including Hazaribagh, Palamu, Giridih and Chatra, where BJP workers organised demonstrations and road blockades, affecting vehicular movement.

In Palamu district, BJP workers blocked roads at Chhahmuhan and Redma Chowk in Daltonganj from the early hours of the morning. BJP’s Palamu district president Amit Tiwari accused the state government of endangering the future of the state’s youth through alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

In Simdega, party workers blocked National Highway-143 at multiple locations, including Biru, disrupting traffic. Similar road blockades were reported from Dhanwar in Giridih district and Pratappur in Chatra district. Demonstrations backing the bandh were also reported from several other parts of the state.

The bandh call came a day after clashes erupted between students and police during a march towards the Jharkhand Assembly. Thousands of students had gathered on Monday demanding cancellation of the disputed JPSC and JSSC examinations, reforms in the recruitment process, and a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.

Police had erected multiple barricades to prevent protesters from advancing towards the Assembly. Water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse the crowd, following which a lathicharge was carried out. Several students and police personnel were reportedly injured in the confrontation.

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