Sadananda Gowda quit electoral politics as BJP leaders told him not to contest LS polls: Yediyurappa
Bengaluru (PTI): Veteran leader and BJP Parliamentary Board Member B S Yediyurappa on Thursday said that former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda was asked by the BJP leadership not to contest in the Lok Sabha polls this time, prompting him to quit electoral politics.
In a sudden development, Gowda, a former union minister who is currently a Member of the Lok Sabha from Bangalore North, announced on Wednesday that he has decided to retire from electoral politics.
"Sadananda Gowda has got instructions from the central leadership (of BJP). He will actively participate in the party activities, but he has decided not to contest in elections," Yediyurappa, former chief minister, told reporters in response to a question on Gowda's move.
Asked whether Gowda's decision came following indications that he may not get a ticket this time, or after facing "neglect" from the high command, he said, "He (Gowda) has been told directly not to contest the polls this time. So, he has said that he has got several responsibilities from the party and there have not been any shortcomings from the party's side and that he will be involved in the party activities."
In June, Gowda had urged the party's top brass to counter speculation in some quarters that 13 incumbent BJP MPs, including himself, would not get party tickets for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for next year, while seemingly expressing his frustration about the party doing little in this regard.
He had also recently tried to call out the party for not consulting its state leaders before forging an alliance with the JD(S), and had also lamented about the delay in appointing a leader of opposition in the Karnataka assembly.
Gowda had resigned from the Union Council of Ministers in July 2021.
Besides being the chemicals and fertilisers minister in the Narendra Modi government, Gowda has also held portfolios such as Railways, Law, and Statistics and Programme Implementation
Reiterating his decision to quit electoral politics, Gowda said in the district headquarters town of Mandya on Thursday that the party has given him various responsibilities in the past 30 years and nurtured him, and it is now his duty to make way for youngsters coming into the party.
"I was national General Secretary and Vice President of the party, I was state president and played a role in bringing the party to power. For seven years in the Modi government at the centre... I was Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition (in Council), Deputy Leader of Opposition (in Assembly). The party has given me everything," he pointed out.
Stating that he had decided to retire from electoral politics earlier, after completing 25 years in it, but on the instruction of the party had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Gowda said he is announcing retirement six months in advance so that party can find a new face and prepare him or her for next election.
"I'm ready to serve the party in any way I'm asked to," he added.
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Over 350 illegal religious structures removed along Nepal border
Lucknow, May 11 (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday said that more than 350 unauthorised religious sites, including madrasas, mosques, mazars and Eidgahs, have been identified and subjected to sealing or demolition in recent days, an official statement issued here said.
Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's clear directive that no religious encroachment will be tolerated, the administration in districts such as Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj has launched a sweeping campaign, it said.
The authorities have systematically identified illegal structures and taken strict action, continuing operations even on Sunday.
The chief minister has made it clear that encroachment in the name of any religion will not be allowed and all violators, especially those running unrecognised religious institutions, will face legal consequences, the statement said.
On May 10 and 11, 104 madrasas, one mosque, five mazars and two Eidgahs built illegally on public and private land were identified in Shravasti. All were issued notices and sealed, it said.
One illegal madrasa on public land was demolished and two unrecognized madrasas on private land were sealed, the statement added.
In Bahraich, officials identified 13 madrasas, eight mosques, two mazars and one Eidgah illegally constructed on government land.
After issuing notices, five were sealed and 11 were demolished, including eight madrasas, two mosques and one mazar, the statement said.
In Siddharthnagar, the authorities identified four mosques and 18 madrasas and one more madrasa for illegal construction. Notices were issued to these structures. Five madrasas were sealed and nine were demolished. In total, action was taken against 23 illegal structures in the district, it said.
In Maharajganj’s Nautanwa tehsil, Parsamalik village, an unrecognized madrasa operating on Maktab land was shut down based on a report submitted by the District Minority Welfare Officer.
The building’s keys were handed over to the local police station in-charge. So far, 29 madrasas and five mazars constructed through encroachment on public and private land have been demolished in the district.
In past two days in Lakhimpur Kheri, two mosques, one Eidgah on public land along with eight madrasas on private land were found to be illegally constructed.
Of the 13 structures identified, one was served a notice, nine were sealed and three have been demolished so far, the statement said.
The district authorities in Pilibhit have identified an illegal mosque built on public land in Bharatpur village, covering an area of 0.0310 hectares.
According to the district magistrate, a notice has been issued to the parties involved, seeking a response within 15 days. Action against the illegal construction will be taken after the notice period ends, it said.
On Sunday, an under-construction madrasa on public land in Virpur Semra village, Tulsipur tehsil, was demolished in Balrampur. So far, 30 madrasas, 10 mazars and one Eidgah have been demolished in the district.
Ten of them were built illegally on public land, while 20 were constructed without authorization on private land, the statement said.
