Page 22 - Uttar Pradesh

What prejudice will whitewashing walls of Sambhal mosque cause: HC asks ASI

Hearing a matter related to the whitewashing of the Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, the Allahabad High Court on Monday directed the counsel appearing for the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to come up with specific averments as to what prejudice would whitewashing the outer walls of the mosque cause. Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal passed the direction while hearing an objection raised by the mosque committee saying it sought permission only for whitewashing and lighting the outer side of the masjid, for which no specific reply was received from the ASI. The ASI is only talking about the interior side of the mosque, S F A Naqvi, counsel for the committee, argued. Posting the matter for next hearing on March 12, Justice Agarwal directed the Sambhal district magistrate to produce the original agreement entered in 1927 between the administration and the mosque committee to handover the masjid to the ASI. On February 28, the ASI submitted a report stating that the interior of

UP CM supports Sambhal CO remark; rejects charge of hiding Kumbh deaths

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday supported the remarks of a Sambhal police officer that while Holi comes once a year, Friday prayers take place every week. Adityanath said the official may have spoken as a "pehelwan", but what the Arjun awardee said was correct. The chief minister, speaking at the India Today Conclave here, thanked religious leaders for deciding to hold Friday namaz after 2 pm. He said namaz could be offered after 2 pm, and people who wish to do so before that can pray at home. Whoever wants to go to a mosque should mind the Holi colours, he said. Holi this year will be celebrated on a Friday. Sambhal Circle Officer Anuj Chaudhury had said that Holi is a festival that comes once a year, whereas Friday prayers take place 52 times in a year. If anyone feels uncomfortable with the colours of Holi, they should stay indoors on that day. Sambhal had witnessed communal violence in November last year. The opposition Samajwadi Party has accused t

UP minister plays down circle officer's remarks on Holi, Jumma namaz

Uttar Pradesh minister Gulab Devi on Saturday played down the remarks of a circle officer that Holi comes only once a year, whereas the Jumma namaz takes place 52 times a year and said in a democracy, everyone is entitled to an opinion. The secondary education minister, who is the MLA from the Chandausi Assembly constituency (reserved for Scheduled Castes) in Sambhal district, also said all communities should celebrate their festivals together and maintain peace and order. Talking to reporters at the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) district office here, Gulab Devi, when asked about the remarks of Sambhal CO Anuj Chaudhary, said, "In a democracy, everyone is entitled to an opinion. I think there is no such thing in it. How many times do we get the opportunity to have Jumma in a year and Holi comes once a year, so both sides should celebrate their festivals together and also maintain peace and order." The minister also said that "Dharam Yogis are sitting in the country and in the state

Omaxe to invest Rs 2,700 cr to modernise 6 bus terminals in Uttar Pradesh

Real estate firm Omaxe Ltd's subsidiary will invest Rs 2,700 crore to upgrade six bus terminals in Uttar Pradesh. In a regulatory filing on Friday, Omaxe said that Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has awarded it a contract to modernise six key bus terminals in the State Ghaziabad, Lucknow (Gomti Nagar), Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Ayodhya and Lucknow (Amausi) under public-private partnership (PPP) model. Omaxe will undertake the modernisation of bus terminals through its newly established wholly-owned subsidiary 'BeTogether'. These projects aim to enhance public transport infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh while integrating state-of-the-art commercial spaces. "With a total investment of around Rs 2,700 crore, these projects are expected to generate over Rs 4,700 crore in revenue," Omaxe said. The total saleable area across the projects is 45.59 lakh sq ft and the combined built-up area for the six projects stands at 70.80 lakh sq ft. The modernisation of the six bu

SC takes exception to UP govt's high-handed case of demolition in Prayagraj

The Supreme Court on Wednesday slammed the Uttar Pradesh government over demolition of houses in Prayagraj without following proper legal procedure and said the action sends a "shocking and wrong signal". A bench of Justices Abhay Oka and N Kotishwar Singh took exception to "high-handed" case of demolition and said the demolished structures will have to be reconstructed. "Prima facie, this action sends shocking and wrong signal and this is something that needs to be corrected. You are taking such drastic action of demolishing homes... We know how to deal with such hyper technical arguments. After all there is something known as Article 21 and Right to Shelter," the bench said. Attorney General R Venkataramani defended the action of the state government saying that reasonable time was given to the petitioners to respond to the demolition notice. He said the matter should be sent to the high court for consideration. The counsel appearing for the petitioners stated that the state ...

Uttar Pradesh govt's market borrowings may reach Rs 6.43 trn in FY26

The country's federal policy think tank NITI Aayog has ranked UP among the front runners in the fiscal health index of states

Mayawati kicks out nephew from party: What next in BSP's succession cycle?

BSP supremo Mayawati's decision to not name her political heir further clouds the future of the party, which has been struggling to regain political relevance

Sambhal mosque row: Court to hear plea over temple claim on Apr 28

A district court on Wednesday fixed April 28 for hearing a plea claiming that the Shahi Jama mosque here was originally a Harihar Temple. When the matter came up before Civil Judge (Senior Division) Aditya Singh, the matter was deferred to April 28. The petition was initially filed in another court on November 19, 2023. A lawyer representing the Hindu side said the respondent was supposed to submit its written statement, but did not do it. Speaking to media persons, the advocate Gopal Sharma, said, "Today, the hearing took place in the court of Aditya Singh. The next date has been set for April 28. The mosque side's lawyer was to file their written statement today, but they have not submitted it yet." He added, "We have appealed to the court to disallow any further opportunity for them to file their written statement." Shahi Jama Masjid's head Zafar Ali, however, told journalists, "There is a stay from the Supreme Court and High Court, therefore no hearing took place. The date of

Akhilesh hits back at UP CM Yogi for targeting SP over Ansal Group issue

"If everything was wrong, why did you go there for the inauguration instead of sending a bulldozer," asked Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath slammed the party for "favouring" real estate developer Ansal Group during its rule. The Uttar Pradesh Police Tuesday booked the embattled Ansal Group for alleged cheating, breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and organised crime. The action was taken after Chief Minister Adityanath instructed officials to take strict measures and safeguard homebuyers' interests. During a discussion on the Budget in the state assembly on Tuesday, Adityanath said, "Ansal was your (SP's) creation. It was under your government that all its illegal activities were facilitated, deceiving investors and homebuyers." Reacting to the accusation, Akhilesh Yadav questioned the government's stance on investments while highlighting that the same leaders who are now raising allegations had earlier inaugurat

Police lodges FIR against Ansal Group after UP CM Yogi's instructions

The Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday booked embattled real estate developer Ansal Group for alleged cheating, breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and organised crime, officials said. The FIR was registered a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath instructed officials to take strict action in the matter and safeguard homebuyers' interest. The CM also invoked the real estate group's name on Tuesday inside the state assembly to slam opposition Samajwadi Party, accusing it of favouring such builders during its regime. The FIR was lodged at the Gomti Nagar police station in Lucknow on Tuesday evening. It names as accused Ansal Properties and Infra Limited Promoters, Pranav Ansal, Sushil Ansal, Sunil Kumar Gupta, Francette Patrica Atkinson and Vinay Kumar Singh (Director). They have been booked under BNS sections 316(5) (criminal breach of trust), 318(4)(cheating), 338 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 336(3)(forgery for cheating), 340(2)(using forged document as genuine), ..

CM Yogi orders FIR against Ansal Group, assures homebuyers protection

Taking cognisance of the Ansal Group case in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday ordered immediate registration of an FIR against the company, and assured homebuyers their interests would be protected, according to an official statement. This came after the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) initiated insolvency proceedings against the company. During a review meeting of the Housing and Urban Planning Department, the chief minister emphasised that Ansal Group's "fraudulent practices" against homebuyers will not be tolerated. He instructed officials to take strong action against all responsible officers of the company. "To ensure justice for those affected, CM Adityanath directed that FIRs be filed in all districts where similar cases against the Ansal Group have surfaced, following the pattern observed in Lucknow," the statement said. "Additionally, he instructed the formation of a committee comprising the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and aggrieved

Metropolis strengthens UP presence with acquisition of Scientific Pathology

This is the second acquisition in the North India market this financial year; share of North market to grow from 8 per cent now to 18 per cent by end of FY26

Ram temple in Ayodhya extends visiting hours, gates now open from 6 am

The visiting hours for the Ram temple in Ayodhya have been extended, with the temple now opening an hour earlier at 6 am instead of 7 am. The new schedule, which also includes revised aarti timings, came into effect on Monday, the temple trust's media centre said. According to the updated schedule, devotees can enter the temple from 6:30 am to 11:50 am following the Shringar Aarti. The temple will then close at 12 pm for the Raj Bhog Aarti. Visiting hours will resume from 1 pm to 6:50 pm, after which the Sandhya Aarti will take place at 7 pm. Devotees will be allowed to visit until 9:45 pm, and the temple will finally close for the day after the Shayan Aarti at 10 pm, the trust said.

Uttar Pradesh govt aims to double maize production to 2.73 mt by 2027

The state is also looking to double maize production by 2027 to 2.73 million tonnes (mt) by augmenting its area and per-hectare yield

UP official booked for leaking Class 10 paper on internal WhatsApp group

An examination centre in-charge has been booked for allegedly leaving the class 10 math paper of UP board on an official WhatsApp group. The incident occurred on the morning of the exam taking place at Chaudhary BL Inter College. The exam was underway Saturday, when, at 9.37 AM, the centre administrator, Anju Yadav, sent the math paper to the official examination WhatsApp group, according to education department sources. The group comprised 125 officials, including the Etah District Magistrate, District School Inspector (DIOS), Static Magistrate, Sector Magistrate, and the Center Superintendent. Static Magistrate Brijesh Kumar said, "Upon discovering the issue, I sought a clarification from Anju Yadav and had the paper removed from the group. The matter was then reported to District School Inspector Dr Indrajit Singh." Kumar filed a complaint at Jaithra Police Station on Saturday evening. "Based on the complaint, a case was registered against Anju Yadav under the relevant section

Wave, Agristo to invest Rs 750 cr in UP to expand potato processing plant

Wave Group and Belgium's Agristo NV will invest around Rs 750 crore to expand their potato processing plant in Uttar Pradesh to make premium french fries, amid rising global demand for processed food. In 2019, Wave Group firm Masa Global Food Pvt Ltd and Agristo's subsidiary firm IMSTO NV, Belgium had formed a 50:50 joint venture firm to establish a potato processing plant at Bijnor to make dehydrated potato flakes. The name of the joint venture firm is Agristo Masa Pvt Ltd. The plant started operations in 2022 with an annual capacity of 7,500 tonnes. In an interview with PTI, Wave Group Chairman Manpreet Singh Chadha noted that there is an immense growth potential in Indian food processing sector. He also stressed on the need to boost crop yields and processing capacity for augmenting farmers income. "We are setting up a new production line for export quality french fries at Bijnor," Chadha told PTI. He said the total investment on this expansion will be around Rs 750 crore, whi

Here's how Prayagraj learned to live with stories of Kumbh stampedes

"My uncle had saved his sister by pulling her out of the river waters by her hair as she slipped below amid the commotion," says city-based advocate Niranjan Lal recalling the 1954 Kumbh Mela stampede stories he had heard from his aunt who survived it. This was the first Kumbh in Allahabad after Independence, and the tragic incident took place on February 3 on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. According to official estimates, several hundred had died in the stampede. Seventy-one years later, a stampede took place on January 29, again on Mauni Amavasya day as a massive crowd sought to enter into the Triveni Sangam waters for the 'amrit snan'. Lal, 67, and his wife were camping in a Swiss cottage in Sector 6 of Mahakukbh Nagar, when they got a call from their son at home late night, cautioning them not to go to the Sangam due to the stampede. "We didn't step out from the camp until the sun came out, and at around 11 am, we went to Dashashwamedh Ghat on Ganga, located near Sector 6. The

They only indulge in Hindu-Muslim politics: Shivpal Yadav slams BJP in UP

"Inflation, unemployment and corruption, all three have increased, they have handed over the state to the bureaucracy, says Shivpal Yadav

Sambhal court rejects bail petitions of 17 accused in Nov 24 violence

A court in the Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday rejected the bail petition of 17 accused in the violence that took place here on November 24 last year, a government advocate said on Saturday. Additional District and Sessions Judge Nirbhay Narain Rai had on Thursday rejected 18 such bail applications. Till now, 65 bail petitions have been rejected in this case and the remaining petitions are to be heard on other dates, Additional District Government Advocate Hari Om Prakash Saini told PTI on Saturday. Saini also said, "We presented arguments before the honourable court that four innocent people have lost their lives in the incident of November 24. These accused used such means with the intention to kill the police, which included throwing stones, firing was also done. Police have identified the accused on the basis of video footage. "Bullets and other items have also been recovered from them. All these arguments were presented by me in the court, on the basis of which all

Four dead, several injured in collision on Agra-Lucknow expressway

Several others sustained injuries and were taken to Sandhya Hospital in Fatehabad for treatment