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After Bihar & Gujarat, political turmoil hits SP, BSP; Akhilesh alleges BJP conspiracy

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After Bihar & Gujarat, political turmoil hits SP, BSP; Akhilesh alleges BJP conspiracy

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Resignations came hours after Amit Shah arrived in Lucknow for a 3-day visit, could pave the way for induction of Yogi Adityanath and his ministers into UP Assembly without facing an election

Days after a massive drama in Bihar ending with BJP forming a coalition government and slew of resignations by Congress legislators in Gujarat gave the saffron party a clear advantage in the ensuing Rajya Sabha polls, Uttar Pradesh was hit by a similar political storm that gave the BJP ample reason to cheer at the cost of the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

Within hours of BJP national president Amit Shah landing in Lucknow for his three-day organisational visit, three members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council – two from the SP and one from the BSP – tendered their resignations and indicated that they could join the saffron party.

Samajwadi Party chief and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav was quick to dub the resignations as part of a BJP conspiracy aimed at helping Yogi Adityanath and some other ministers of his cabinet to avoid facing a by-election for their induction into the UP Assembly.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, bhis deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya and ministers in the Yogi government – Dinesh Sharma, Swatantra Dev Singh and Mohsin Raza – are due to get elected to either house of the UP legislature by August in order to continue in office. The resignations pave the way for Adityanath, Maurya and at least one minister in the state cabinet to get elected as MLCs. There has been speculation that the BJP is not confident of Maurya’s victory in the Assembly by-poll and earlier there had also been rumours that to avoid a defeat, the party may even ask him to resign from the UP cabinet and continue as a Member of Parliament from Phulpur.

The political grapevine has also been abuzz with rumours that should Maurya vacate his Lok Sabha seat, BSP supremo Mayawati – who recently resigned from her Rajya Sabha seat – could contest the Phulpur by-poll as a joint candidate fielded by the Opposition – an advice that was mooted by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav before the collapse of the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar.

The MLCs who submitted their resignations to the Legislative Council chairman Ramesh Yadav include Bukkal Nawab and Yashwant Singh of the SP and Thakur Jaiveer Singh of the BSP. Yashwant Singh, a close aide of Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya, formerly a minister in the previous SP government and a known Akhilesh-baiter, even declared that he was “vacating the seat for CM Yogi ji” and that he was upset with Akhilesh ever since he “called India weak and glorified China while speaking in the UP Assembly”.

There was also speculation that another SP MLC, Madhukar Jaitley, could resign from the post.

Reacting to the surprise resignations of his party’s MLCs, Akhilesh said: “After the large scale political corruption in Bihar, it seems the same will be done in Uttar Pradesh… people are seeing what is happening. I will ask Bukkal Nawab (one of the MLCs to resign and also a close aide of Akhilesh’s father Mulayam Singh Yadav) why he was not giving the BJP leaders a chance to face a direct… (why) some MLCs are being lured and tutored so as to enable the BJP leaders to not face the people and get elected as MLCs instead”

Bukkal Nawab, on the other hand, hit out at Akhilesh for deserting his father last year ahead of the UP assembly polls and said he was disillusioned with the state of affairs in the party and felt suffocated in the SP. “They shouldn’t write Samajwadi Party but rather should say ‘Samajwadi Akhaada’ since the party has now become a wrestling arena. If Akhilesh could not stay loyal to his own father then how would he be with the people,” Nawab said after submitting his resignation.

The setback for Akhilesh comes a day after his uncle and senior SP leader Shivpal Yadav gave clear indications of forming a new party – Samajwadi Secular Morcha – if the differences in the SP continue to grow.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Priyanka Gandhi accompanies Robert Vadra to ED office for second day in Gurugram land probe

Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi, appeared before the ED for the second day in the Gurugram land case.

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Robert Vadra Priyanka Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accompanied her husband Robert Vadra to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office on Wednesday as he appeared for questioning for the second consecutive day in connection with the Gurugram land case.

Mr Vadra, the brother-in-law of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, was seen exchanging a hug with Ms Gandhi before entering the ED office. He is under scrutiny in a money laundering probe linked to a 2008 land deal in Manesar-Shikohpur area, now known as Sector 83 of Gurugram.

Focus of the probe: land deal from Congress tenure in Haryana

The investigation stems from a land transaction executed by Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, a company in which Mr Vadra was formerly a director. In February 2008, Skylight purchased 3.5 acres of land from Onkareshwar Properties for ₹7.5 crore. At that time, Haryana was governed by a Congress-led administration under then Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

In September 2012, four years after the acquisition, Skylight sold the same land to real estate developer DLF for ₹58 crore. The deal later drew public attention after senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who was then heading the Land Consolidation and Land Records department in Haryana, cancelled the land mutation, citing violations of the State Consolidation Act and procedural discrepancies.

Haryana Police registered an FIR to examine the deal in 2018, further intensifying the legal scrutiny.

ED questions Vadra under PMLA

On Tuesday, Mr Vadra was questioned for nearly five hours by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), during which his statement was recorded. The businessman has consistently maintained that the case is part of a political vendetta and emphasized that he has cooperated fully with all investigative agencies, submitting numerous documents over the years.

Calling for a closure to what he described as a decades-old matter, Mr Vadra said cases like these should not be allowed to drag on indefinitely.

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Congress slams PM Modi, Amit Shah after ED files chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi

The ED’s chargesheet has accused the Congress leaders of money laundering under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

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The Congress on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in the National Herald case.

Labelling it a blatant act of vendetta politics, the grand old party also condemned the seizure of the newspaper’s assets as a “state-sponsored crime disguised as justice,” vowing to fight back against what it calls an attempt to silence its leadership.

In a fiery statement on X, Congress general secretary in charge of communication Jairam Ramesh accused PM Modi and Shah of orchestrating a campaign of intimidation. “Filing chargesheets against Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others is nothing but the politics of vendetta gone wild,” Ramesh posted. “Seizing National Herald’s assets is a mockery of the rule of law.”

Hitting out at Shah, the Congress leader accused him of going “completely berserk.” He asserted that the Indian National Congress and its leadership refuse to be silenced, stating: “Satyameva Jayate.”

The ED’s chargesheet has accused the Congress leaders of money laundering under Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Alongside Sonia and Rahul, it names Congress figures Suman Dubey and Sam Pitroda. Special Judge Vishal Gogne reviewed the document for cognisance, scheduling further proceedings for April 25, with the filing handled by ED’s special public prosecutor, N.K. Matta.

Ramesh asserted that the Congress remains undeterred, promising, “We will not be silenced, and the truth will triumph.” The chargesheet reignites a long-standing legal battle tied to the National Herald, a newspaper associated with the Congress since India’s independence era.

The Delhi Rouse Avenue Court has scheduled a hearing for arguments on the ongoing National Herald case for April 25, 2025.

During a recent session, the presiding judge stated, “The present prosecution complaint shall next be taken up for consideration on the aspect of cognisance before this court on April 25, 2025, when the special counsel for the ED and the investigating officer will ensure the production of case diaries for the court’s examination.”

The prosecution complaint, lodged under Sections 44 and 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002, pertains to allegations of money laundering, as outlined in Section 3, in conjunction with Section 70, and is punishable under Section 4 of the same act, as per the report.

This case has garnered significant attention, following a complaint filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy against Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul, their associated companies, and other individuals involved.

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Yogi Adityanath slams Mamata Banerjee over Bengal Waqf protest violence

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has criticized the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government following recent violent protests in Murshidabad over the Waqf Amendment Act. Referring to the unrest, Adityanath said “Bengal is burning” while its Chief Minister remains “silent”.

Addressing a public meeting in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, the BJP leader remarked that “danda” — the Hindi term for a stick — is the only effective solution against rioters. Drawing comparisons, he claimed that prior to 2017, when BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, riots were a frequent occurrence in the state.

“Danda is the only treatment for rioters. You can see, Bengal is burning. The Chief Minister is silent. She is calling rioters ‘peace ambassadors’,” he stated during his speech.

Adding further, Adityanath used a Hindi proverb to reinforce his stance: “Laton ke bhoot baaton se kahan manne wale hain,” which loosely translates to “Those who respond only to force don’t understand words.”

The Uttar Pradesh CM accused the West Bengal administration of enabling violence under the guise of secularism. “In the name of secularism, they have given freedom to rioters. The government is silent. Such anarchy should be controlled,” he added.

These remarks come amid growing political tension over the Waqf Amendment Act, with opposition voices criticizing both state and central policies. The violence in Murshidabad has drawn widespread attention, placing the West Bengal government under scrutiny.

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