Sulking UP minister fires fresh salvo at Adityanath govt
Lucknow, Nov 19 : Sulking UP Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar Monday fired a fresh salvo at the BJP-led Yogi Adityanath government, accusing it of denying funds to open schools for 'divyaangjan' (specially-abled people) in the state.
Rajbhar's fresh attack at the BJP comes a day after he challenged the ruling party to dump him for daring "to call a spade a spade".
Rajbhar, who heads the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party - an ally of the BJP in UP, said in a tweet, "In Uttar Pradesh, there are 16 'divyaang' schools in 75 districts. In the state, there are 1.5 crore 'divyaang' people. Now, how will they study in these 16 schools?"
"If we speak up in this regard, it is said that we are speaking against them in revolt," he said.
In another tweet, Rajbhar said, "Keeping in mind the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Ram Mandir issue is being fanned. Through Kumbh, branding of the Lok Sabha elections is being done. In Kumbh thousands of crores of rupees are being spent, but when I seek budget for Divyaangjan Empowerment Department, there is no budget."
When contacted, UP's Finance Minister Rajesh Agarwal told PTI, "The question should be asked to honourable chief minister. I am a minister who is equivalent to him (Rajbhar). Hence, it will not be appropriate for me to comment on a person who is equivalent to me."
Rajbhar is a Cabinet minister holding the portfolio of Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment in the council of ministers headed by Adityanath.
Hitting back at the BJP's Uttar Pradesh chief, a disgruntled Rajbhar had challenged Sunday his NDA ally to dump him for daring "to call a spade a spade".
"Why are you unnecessarily carrying us? If you have the courage, dump us. The government has no time for welfare activities for backward people," SBSP chief said in the wake UP BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey's comment that "Rajbhar is a necessary evil" and that comments made by the SBSP chief "should not be taken seriously".
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Congress, Raijor Dal finalise alliance; state party gets 11 seats
_vb_28.jpeg)
Guwahati (PTI): After days of negotiation and uncertainty, the Congress and Raijor Dal finalised seat-sharing arrangements for the Assam assembly polls, and decided that the national party will leave 11 constituencies for the other one, and there will be a friendly contest in two. In a late-night development on Thursday at Jorhat, leaders of the two parties, headed by state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi and Raijor Dal chief Akhil Gogoi, signed the agreement.
Akhil Gogoi will contest from Sivasagar, a seat he won in the last polls while still in prison on sedition charges for allegedly instigating violence during the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.
The Congress had given the Margherita seat to the Raijor Dal. Earlier, the national party had given it to Prateek Bordoloi, who decided not to contest on a Congress ticket after his father defected to the BJP earlier this week.
The other seats to be contested by Raijor Dal are Dalgaon, Dhing, Sissiborgaon, Digboi, Bokakhat, Manas, Tezpur and Kaliabor, while friendly contests will take place between the two parties in Goalpara (East) and Gauripur.
The party has nominated a woman candidate, Gyanashree Bora, from the Mariani constituency.
The opposition alliance now comprises six parties -- Congress, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), CPI(M), All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) and the CPI(ML).
The Congress has announced its complete list of 87 seats, the AJP in 10 seats while the CPI(M) and APHLC will contest in two seats each.
Gaurav Gogoi thanked the Raijor Dal president, his team, and everyone who worked to ensure the alliance took place.
"It is not easy for a party like Congress to give up seats, but the national leadership agreed in the interest of the state and its future," the Congress state chief said.
''After assessing the ground realities and being satisfied with our answers to the queries raised by the high command, it was agreed that the alliance takes place,” he added.
Gaurav Gogoi said that several sections of the society, particularly some renowned civil society leaders, played a prominent role in ensuring the alliance takes place in the interest of the state and its people.
He appealed to all to work for the win of all candidates put up by the alliance's six parties.
"We have many dreams and aims to create a new Assam where the development of all and not just one person and his family, is ensured," Gogoi said.
People of Assam want to be free of Himanta Biswa Sarma's ''low level of politics'' where he uses fear and threats to intimidate people so he can remain in power, he claimed.
The Raijor Dal president said that they decided to contest the elections unitedly to oust the BJP government, led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, and make Gaurav Gogoi the chief minister.
''People of Assam are dissatisfied with the BJP-RSS as they have changed the social fabric of the state, and there is a need to overthrow Sarma's undemocratic, corrupt and communal government,'' he said.
Akhil Gogoi urged the Jorhat electorate to vote for the Congress president, stating they have a ''historic opportunity to elect the state's future CM and help build a new Assam.
"Jorhat will get a CM, and the entire state will get a youth leader who has made a mark on the national arena," he said.
Raijor Dal is contesting only 13 seats in the interest of the people and the future of the state to ensure that the BJP is defeated, he said.
Akhil also apologised to those from the party who could not get a ticket.
The elections to the 126-member Assam assembly will be held on April 9. Votes will be counted on May 4.
_vb_39.jpeg)
_vb_48.jpeg)
_vb_71.jpeg)