Dalit student's killing in Allahabad sparks uproar in UP Legislative Council
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council today witnessed noisy scenes over the death of a 22-year-old Dalit student in Allahabad and a report in a local Hindi newspaper over the chief minister allegedly linking "samajwad to atankwad".
Both the issues were raised by Samajwadi Party members in the House.
Dileep Saroj, a second-year law yesterday succumbed to injuries, two days after he was thrashed with sticks and batons by a group following an altercation outside a restaurant in Allahabad.
Leader of Opposition and Samajwadi Party member Ahmed Hasan raised the incident as soon as the Question Hour started.
He alleged that though such incidents with Dalits were taking place across the country, the government had remained silent.
Referring to a recent dacoity in Lucknow's Kakori area, he said that crime had increased and the law and order system in the state had collapsed.
Samajwadi Party members Sunil Singh Sajan, Anand Bhadauria and Rajpal Kashyap raised the issue of the report published in the newspaper, according to which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had allegedly linked 'samajwad' (socialism) to 'atankwad' (terrorism) during an event in Lucknow.
They marched into the Well of the House demanding the chief minister tender an apology over his alleged jibe on the party.
Some SP members also hurled paper balls at the Chair, which were stopped by the Marshals.
Chairman Ramesh Yadav had to first adjourn the Question Hour and when the uproar did not subside in the Zero Hour, he adjourned the House for the day.
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Kejriwal responds to EC, says water received from Haryana 'extremely poisonous' for human health
New Delhi (PTI): AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday responded to the Election Commission notice over his claim the Haryana government was "mixing poison" in Yamuna, and said raw water received from the BJP-ruled state in the recent past has been "highly contaminated and extremely poisonous" for human health.
In the 14-page reply to the Election Commission, the former Delhi chief minister said if such "toxic water" is allowed to be consumed by human population it would lead to grave health hazard and fatality.
Kejriwal said he only wanted to highlight the "urgent public health crisis" due to the quality of drinking water in the city, and he violated no law or Model Code of Conduct, hence the issue should be closed.
He said the "alleged statements" attributed to him were made as it was his public duty to red flag the "severe toxicity and contamination" of raw water received from the BJP-ruled state.
Following a complaint filed by the BJP over the matter, the Election Commission issued the notice to Kejriwal on Tuesday, giving him time till Wednesday 8 pm to furnish his reply.
Kejriwal also said the ammonia level in raw water received from Haryana was so "extreme" that water treatment plants in Delhi are unable to process and bring it down to safe and permissible limits for human consumption.
Following their party chief's response, the AAP issued a statement, saying, "It is an undisputed fact that there is 7 ppm ammonia in Yamuna water, A Delhi Jal Board CEO letter admits toxicity is 700 percent higher than the permissible limit."
In his response to the EC, Kejriwal also alleged that Haryana's "failure" in controlling pollution in Yamuna has resulted in an "unprecedented public health crisis" in Delhi. He alleged "indiscriminate" discharge of industrial waste in the river by the state.
The AAP supremo said Haryana is an upper-riparian state and Delhi, ruled by his party, has no role to play in the high level of toxic water being made available to the city.
"Due to such high level of toxic content in the raw water supplied by Haryana, the water treatment plants in Delhi are operating below capacity and there is a shortage of treated water in Delhi," he claimed.
Saying that access to clean water is a basic human right, the AAP chief asserted that raising this critical issue cannot be considered an offence.
"The said statement by no stretch of the imagination can be termed inciting enmity between different groups or prejudicial to national integration," he said.
On the contrary, the substance and purpose of these statements are rooted solely in the public interest, aimed at highlighting a legitimate civic concern that requires urgent institutional intervention, he asserted.
He requested the EC to intervene in the matter and issue appropriate directions to Haryana so safe water is made available to the people of Delhi.
