Apna Dal (S) president and Union minister Anupriya Patel on Thursday said the faith of crores of people was associated with the Ram temple in Ayodhya and that those involved in the alleged embezzlement of devotees’ offerings would not be spared.
“The SIT has submitted its preliminary report and several people involved in the misappropriation of the offerings have been arrested. As the probe reaches its final stage, more people will be arrested. Even the big fish will be apprehended,” she said.
An NDA ally, Patel was in Lucknow to participate in Jan Swabhiman Diwas, organised to mark the birth anniversary of Apna Dal (S) founder Sone Lal Patel. Addressing a press conference after the event, she described the alleged theft of donations as a serious matter linked to the faith of millions.
“Those involved in the embezzlement of devotees’ offerings will face strict punishment. Both the Centre and the state government have made it clear that whoever is involved in the theft of donations will be punished,” she said.
Earlier, addressing party workers, Patel said that despite being an ally of the BJP, Apna Dal (S) had never compromised on issues of social justice and would continue to fight for the rights, dignity and participation of the weaker sections of society.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, addressing party workers, Patel said that despite being an ally of the BJP, Apna Dal (S) had never compromised on issues of social justice and would continue to fight for the rights, dignity and participation of the weaker sections of society.
{{/usCountry}}“Social justice and the protection of the rights of backward, Dalit, deprived and exploited sections are the core ideology of Apna Dal (S),” she said.
Claiming that the people had rejected the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in the 2017 and 2022 assembly elections, Patel said the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak) was firmly aligned with the NDA. She credited the NDA government with several measures benefiting backward classes, including the caste census, reservation for OBCs in NEET-PG, the creation of a separate ministry for OBC welfare, raising the annual income limit for the OBC creamy layer from ₹8 lakh to ₹15 lakh, and removing cut-off disparities for reserved-category candidates in competitive examinations.
“In the 2027 UP assembly elections, the NDA will win more seats than it did in 2022. We will form the government for a third consecutive term,” she said.
Patel urged party workers to make Apna Dal (S) the number one party in the state, even as office-bearers raised slogans projecting her as the next chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
She asked workers to strengthen the organisation at the village, ward and booth levels to make Apna Dal (S) a formidable political force in the 2027 assembly elections.
“Because of the hard work and dedication of our workers, Apna Dal (S) has emerged as the third-largest party in the UP assembly. Once our opponents mocked us as a ‘vote katwa’ (spoiler), but today, with 13 MLAs, we have become a force to reckon with in Uttar Pradesh politics,” she said.
Patel also called upon party workers to turn the ‘Har Ghar Jhanda Abhiyan’ into a mass movement and ensure a strong organisational presence in every village, ward and booth to secure a historic performance for Apna Dal (S) in the 2027 assembly elections.