SP members raise slogans in UP Assembly; slam govt over SIR
Lucknow (PTI): Samajwadi Party MLAs on Monday protested inside the Uttar Pradesh Assembly on various issues, including the special intensive revision exercise and alleged insult to Malwa queen Ahilyabai Holkar.
When the House met at 11 am and Speaker Satish Mahana invited the governor to read out the address, senior Samajwadi Party (SP) member Dr Sangram Yadav raised the SIR issue.
When the governor started speaking, SP legislators moved to the well of the House in front of the Speaker’s podium and raised slogans such as “Insult to Mata Ahilyabai will not be tolerated by Hindustan.”
Terming the Governor’s address as a “bundle of lies”, SP members shouted slogans including “False speech will not be accepted”, “Governor Madam, go back” and “Governor, go back”.
The sloganeering by SP members continued till the conclusion of the address.
SP members had come to the House carrying placards with slogans written on them.
SP MLA Sachin Yadav reached the House wearing a kurta bearing a picture of Holkar on the front and an image of Manikarnika Ghat (in Varanasi) printed on the back, while SP MLA Atul Pradhan carried a large photograph of Holkar.
Amid slogans such as “Killer of Dalits and backwards” and “Anti-reservation government will not be accepted”, the governor completed her address, which lasted for over 30 minutes.
During the address, she listed the achievements of the Uttar Pradesh government under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while SP members continued their protest and sloganeering in front of the Speaker’s chair.
Ahead of the start of the session, SP MLAs had held protests in Assembly premises against the alleged anti-people policies of the state government.
With placards in their hands, they alleged that the BJP government was playing with the rights of PDA (Picchde Dalit Alpsankhyak) community.
During the protest, SP national spokesperson and Legislative Council member Rajendra Chaudhary alleged that the government had failed on all fronts.
SP members were vocal on the issue of the discrepancies in SIR of the electoral rolls.
Opposition members were carrying placards with slogans such as “Rights for all, justice for all, PDA (Backward, Dalit, Minority) will prevail”, “Give jobs to youth, end unemployment” and “Destruction in the name of development, no hope from the BJP”.
Party legislator Yadav, who was holding a poster of Holkar, raised the issued of demolitions at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi, alleging that the government insulted Holkar, who had developed the ghats nearly 300 years ago.
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345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran return home via Armenia
New Delhi (PTI): A group of 345 Indian fishermen, who were stranded in Iran amid escalating regional tensions, returned to India via Armenia on Saturday, officials said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar thanked his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan for assistance in return of the Indian nationals.
The Indian nationals arrived in Chennai this evening, the officials cited above said.
The circumstances that led to them being stranded in Iran were not immediately known.
"Thank FM @AraratMirzoyan and the Government of Armenia for facilitating the evacuation of Indian fishermen today from Iran, through Armenia to India," Jaishankar said on social media.
Over 1,500 Indian nationals have left Iran through land border crossings in Armenia and Azerbaijan since the start of the West Asia conflict over a month ago.
"A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening," a government statement said.
It said the Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the West Asian region, with the safety, security and welfare of the Indian community being accorded the highest priority.
It also made a mention of five Indians being injured in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
According to Abu Dhabi authorities, the Indian nationals were among the 12 people injured by debris from an intercepted missile.
"In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment," the Indian government's statement said.
It said the Indian mission in Abu Dhabi is extending "full" assistance and coordinating with local authorities, adding that their flight is expected to reach India this evening.
