Shivpal Yadav dares Akhilesh Yadav to expel him From SP legislature party
Lucknow , Apr 21: Sulking socialist leader Shivpal Singh Yadav on Thursday took on Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over a remark alluding to his apparent closeness to the ruling BJP, and dared him to expel him from the SP legislature party.
Shivpal Yadav, who is Akhilesh Yadav's uncle and heads his own Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia), won the recent Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on an SP ticket.
He was, however, not invited for a meeting of SP MLAs soon after the results came in. Since then he has thrown hints that he might cross over to the Bharatiya Janata Party.
"As of now there is no decision on this matter. When the right time comes, I will definitely tell everyone about it," the PSPL leader told reportrers when questioned over the speculation.
He took exception to Akhilesh Yadav's comment in Agra on Wednesday that anyone who meets the BJP will not remain with the SP.
"It's an irresponsible comment. I contested the election on the symbol of the Samajwadi Party. If they think they need to take a decision immediately then they can expel me from the legislature party," he said.
Though the SP president had not taken names, the comment came in the backdrop of Shivpal Yadav's recent meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Shivpal Yadav had formed his own party after falling out with his nephew. But the two patched up ahead of the 2022 assembly polls.
He also dismissed Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar's claim that the two are in regular touch and he is part of the alliance headed by the SBSP.
"So far, there have been no talks with him (on this issue). There was a phone call but no talks were held. It is likely that he talked to someone else, whose name resembles mine," Yadav said.
Shivpal Yadav has recently signalled growing bonhomie with the saffron party. After a meeting the CM, he started following him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former UP deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma on Twitter.
After not being invited by his nephew to a meeting of newly elected SP MLAs on March 26, Shivpal Yadav skipped a meeting of the Opposition alliance led by the Samajwadi Party.
The SP supremo has been cryptic in his remarks on his uncle. Recently, when questioned by reporters in Kannauj, Akhilesh Yadav caustically advised them not to waste time on such issues.
Shivpal Yadav has also been critical of the treatment being meted out to jailed SP leader Azam Khan, whose supporters have accused the Samajwadi Party of ignoring him and the Muslim community.
On Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary's meeting with Azam Khan's wife and son in Rampur on Wednesday, Yadav said courtesy calls place in politics and he too was in touch with the family.
Before the election I had met him in jail. His health was not good. The treatment that is being given to him is not right for a tall leader like him, he said.
In politics, there should not be such incidents of political vendetta," Shivpal Yadav, who is the younger brother of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, added.
On the recent dissolution of PSPL units, he said a post-election review and reorganisation was going on in his party.
It will be revamped after a proper review, he said.
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Bengal govt directs schools to mandatorily include singing of Vande Mataram in morning assemblies
Kolkata (PTI): The West Bengal government has directed all state-run and aided schools to mandatorily include the singing of Vande Mataram during morning assemblies with immediate effect, according to an official communication issued by the School Education department.
The directive states that every student must participate in the singing the national song at the start of the school day. Heads of institutions have been instructed to ensure strict compliance.
"The singing of Vande Mataram during morning assembly prayers prior to the start of classes should be made mandatory so that Vande Mataram should be sung by all students in all schools in the state with immediate effect," the Director of Education specified in a communication to state-run and state-aided school heads on May 13.
The move comes shortly after the Union government initiated steps to strengthen provisions related to respect for national symbols, including a proposed amendment to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, making obstruction to the singing of Vande Mataram a punishable offence.
A school education department official indicated on Thursday that the song is to be performed at the beginning of the assembly session.
School authorities have also been asked to document the proceedings, including video recordings, as proof of implementation, he said.
Earlier, schools in the state traditionally sang only the national anthem, Jana Gana Mana, composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
In recent years, the previous TMC government had introduced 'Banglar Mati Banglar Jol', also penned by Tagore in 1905 during protests against the partition of Bengal, as the state song.
The national song Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, now adds to the list, raising questions among sections of teachers about the duration and sequencing of both the national anthem and the national song within the limited assembly time.
Headmaster of Hindu School Subhrojit Dutta told PTI, "Once our students attend classes after summer vacation, they will sing Vande Mataram along with the National anthem Jana Gana Mana during the assembly before classes."
"Our students had already been told about the historical significance of Vande Mataram on the occasion of its 150th year, and they had been asked to recite the lines and memorise it at home before this notice was issued. So once they join school, they will sing the national song along with the national anthem," he added.
A left-run teacher representative body spokesperson said further clarity is awaited regarding whether all songs are to be sung daily and how they are to be accommodated within the existing schedule.
