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Sambhal takes centre stage in Council on Day 1 of winter session
Leader of the House and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya asserted that the rule of law prevailed in Uttar Pradesh and that strict action was taken against wrongdoers.
The issue of Sambhal dominated the first day of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council’s winter session.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) raised the matter as it tried to corner the government, which led to an uproar and commotion. Responding on behalf of the government, the Leader of the House and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya asserted that the rule of law prevailed in Uttar Pradesh and that strict action was taken against wrongdoers.
He emphasised that no one would be allowed to take the law into their hands and assured that the state was crime-free and riot-free, focusing on good governance, law and order, and achieving the goal of a trillion-dollar economy.
He added that the public had rejected appeasement politics and that a survey in Sambhal was being conducted as per court orders. Maurya blamed the violence in Sambhal to a power struggle between the local Samajwadi Party MP and MLA, asserting that police intervention saved lives that could have otherwise been lost. Unsatisfied with the government’s response, SP members staged a sit-in in the Well. The session began at 11:00 a.m. under the chairmanship of Kunwar Manvendra Singh.
During Zero Hour, SP members Lal Bihari Yadav, Rajendra Chaudhary, Man Singh Yadav, Ashutosh Sinha, Mohammad Jasmeer Ansari, and Balram Yadav raised the issue of the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh, referring to the Sambhal incident as part of an adjournment motion. They accused the BJP of trying to disrupt communal harmony and spreading hatred. They alleged that false cases were being filed against innocent people, pointing to the deaths of five individuals during a re-survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal.
Dr. Man Singh Yadav and Leader of the Opposition Lal Bihari Yadav criticised the BJP, accusing it of engaging in divisive politics and misleading the public.
The ruling party members interrupted frequently, leading to heated exchanges. Cabinet minister Sanjay Nishad also spoke, sparking a verbal duel with SP members and leading to noise.
In his reply, the deputy CM labeled the allegations a “low and vile conspiracy of Muslim appeasement.” He reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining peace and law and order, calling this a “golden era of achievements” for Uttar Pradesh.
Unconvinced by the government’s response, SP members once again staged a sit-in in the Well. Upon the chairman’s request, they eventually returned to their seats, and the proceedings resumed.
