Page 62 - Uttar Pradesh

Supreme Court stays Allahabad HC decision to scrap UP Madarsa Education Act

Apex court calls the High Court's verdict an 'infringement on the principle of secularism and fundamental rights enshrined in Article 14 of the constitution'

175 candidates file nomination papers in UP for 2nd phase of LS election

A total of 175 candidates have filed their nomination papers from the eight Lok Sabha constituencies in Uttar Pradesh where polling will be held on April 26, a senior election official said here on Thursday. Thursday, which was the last day for filing nominations, saw 94 candidates file their papers. Till Wednesday, 81 nominations had been filed. The highest number of nominations were filed from Ghaziabad at 35 and the lowest from Bulandshahr at 10, said Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa. He said 21 nominations were filed from Amroha, 22 from Meerut, 16 from Baghpat, 34 from Gautam Budh Nagar, 21 from Aligarh and 16 from Mathura. Prominent among those who filed their nominations on Thursday are BJP MP Hema Malini, who is seeking a third term from Mathura, and her Congress rival Mukesh Dhangar. Congress' Amroha candidate Kunwar Danish Ali, BJP's Ghaziabad candidate Atul Garg, and BJP's Gautam Buddha Nagar nominee Mahesh Sharma are among the other prominent candidates. Scrutiny

Uttar Pradesh govt buys 5,500 million power units to brace for deficit

Power banking is a bilateral arrangement between two power utilities/states to trade energy to match their respective seasonal variations of surplus-deficit matrix

UP extremely important, one of fastest-growing markets for Amazon: Srikanth

Terming Uttar Pradesh as an "extremely important" and "one of the fastest-growing markets" for Amazon.in, a senior company official said 2023 witnessed healthy double digit growth, and that momentum has continued this year, too. "In Uttar Pradesh, we are delivering across all districts and all serviceable pin codes. In 2023, we saw more than 25 per cent growth year-on-year, and that momentum has continued in 2024 as well," K N Srikanth, Director, Home, Kitchen and Outdoors, Amazon India, told PTI. "In the first three months (of 2024), we have seen more than 25 per cent growth year-on-year on a large base. So it's a very important and large market for us," he said. "Lakhs of our customers, and more than 1.6 lakh sellers are based out of Uttar Pradesh," K N Srikanth, who was in Lucknow on Tuesday to attend a daylong event to "celebrate the success of Amazon in the region", said. "Hence you will also see that we have large fulfilment centres here to store products from sellers, and sh

UP cops suspended over social media posts in favour of Mukhtar Ansari

Action has been taken against two Uttar Pradesh police constables for allegedly posting comments on social media in favour of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari who died last week, officials said on Wednesday. Ansari, a five-time MLA, died last week at Rani Durgawati Medical College after being taken there from Banda jail when his health deteriorated. He was laid to rest in Ghazipur amid a blanket of security. A day after Ansari's burial, police constable Faiyaz Khan, posted at a police station in Lucknow, allegedly made certain comments in favour of the gangster-politician on his WhatsApp status and also raised doubts over his death. According to officials, after the WhatsApp status went viral, local authorities removed the constable from his current posting and sent him to the police lines. "As the model code of conduct is in force, permission has been sought from the Election Commission for his suspension," a senior officer said. In Chandauli, constable Aftab Alam, posted at th

Mechanisation and digitisation: Uttar Pradesh farmers eye rich harvest

From drones to laser levellers, farmers in UP are increasingly adopting technology, Aditi Phadnis reports from the fields of Mohanlalgunj, near Lucknow

BJP's lists of Lok Sabha candidates: Of give and take, and long wait

The BJP has dropped almost a third of its sitting MPs

SC to hear on Apr 1 Gyanvapi committee's plea on allowing prayers in cellar

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on April 1 a Gyanvapi mosque management committee's plea against an Allahabad High Court decision upholding a lower court's order allowing Hindu prayers in the southern cellar of the mosque. A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra will hear the plea of Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, which manages the affairs of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, challenging the HC's February 26 decision. The high court had dismissed the committee's plea in which it had challenged the district court's January 31 order allowing Hindus to offer prayers in the cellar. While dismissing the plea of the mosque committee on February 26, the high court had observed that the Uttar Pradesh government's 1993 decision of stopping worship rituals inside the "Vyas Tehkhana" -- located at the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi -- was "illegal". It had said that the worship rituals were stopped by "illegal action of the state withou

Our govt gave new flight to hopes of family members across nation: PM Modi

Ahead of his first Lok Sabha election rally in Uttar Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday referred to the people of the country as his family members and said his government has given a new flight to their aspirations. The prime minister will hold a rally in Meerut on Sunday where the BJP has fielded actor Arun Govil of TV serial 'Ramayan' fame as its candidate. According to sources, apart from Govil, Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary, who recently joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, will share the dais with the prime minister. In a post on X in Hindi, PM Modi said, "In the last 10 years, our government, through its work, has given a new flight to the aspirations of my family members across the country. To give further speed to this, the countrymen have once again made up their mind to go with the BJP-NDA in the Lok Sabha elections." "Will get the privilege of receiving blessings from the public around 3.30 pm today in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh," he ..

Lok Sabha polls: Swami Prasad Maurya to contest from UP's Kushinagar

Former Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who recently parted ways with the Samajwadi Party, on Sunday said he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kushinagar as a candidate of his Rashtriya Shoshit Samaaj Party. Claiming that he held talks with the INDIA bloc constituents from Uttar Pradesh over seat sharing but got no response, Maurya also announced that S N Chauhan will be his party's candidate from the Deoria Lok Sabha seat. The names of other candidates of the party would be announced soon, he added. Kushinagar and Deoria Lok Sabha seats will vote in the seventh and final phase of the general elections on June 1. In a post on X in Hindi, Maurya said that since the formation of the Rashtriya Shoshit Samaj Party, he has been trying to strengthen the INDIA bloc and make it win. "We also appealed to the people of the country to save the Constitution, democracy and get rid of the BJP," he said. "I held talks with the leaders of both the big parties of Uttar Pradesh w

PM Modi maintaining studious silence on key issues affecting UP: Congress

The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of maintaining a "studious silence" on key issues affecting the people of Uttar Pradesh, as it alleged that he has "failed" women, farmers and youth. Ahead of the prime minister's rally in Meerut, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posed questions for him on behalf of the people of Uttar Pradesh. To avoid having to come clean on his real intentions, he has maintained a "studious silence" on these key issues so far, Ramesh said and went on to list the issues which he claimed the people of Uttar Pradesh are hoping to hear from the PM on. "Publicly, PM Modi loves talking about women's empowerment and 'Nari Shakti' but he has repeatedly failed Indian women, even within his own party. Just two weeks ago, the BJP Mahila Morcha's National Vice President quit the party, citing that female party workers were being 'insulted' and 'treated harshly'," Ramesh said. "Another female leader, the President of the Mahila Morcha in UP'

Who was Mukhtar Ansari: Gangster-turned-politician laid to rest in Ghazipur

Mukhtar Ansari died of a cardiac arrest in jail on Thursday. The five-time MLA and UP gangster's funeral was attended by thousands amid tight security on Saturday

Amid tight security, Mukhtar Ansari laid to rest in UP's Ghazipur

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari was laid to rest at the Kali Bagh burial ground in Ghazipur on Saturday. The body was brought to the family's ancestral burial ground, about half a km from their residence, where a grave was dug on Friday. The local administration made elaborate security arrangements outside Ansari's residence and the burial ground. Ansari died due to a cardiac arrest on Thursday. His body was brought to his hometown around midnight on Friday, family sources said, adding the burial rituals took place at the residence. The body was taken to the Kali Bagh burial ground in a procession led by family members, including his son Umar Ansari and brother Afzal Ansari. A large crowd accompanied the procession and some also raised slogans. Police faced a tough time in managing the crowd who tried to force their way into the burial ground where entry was restricted. Security personnel, including that of the paramilitary, were deployed at strength around the Ansari ...

Security tightened up in UP's Ghazipur ahead of Mukhtar Ansari's burial

Security arrangements have been strengthened outside the residence of Mukhtar Ansari in Ghazipur and a burial ground in the Uttar Pradesh district ahead of the last rites of gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari on Saturday. The last rites of Mukhtar Ansari, who died due to a cardiac arrest on Thursday and whose body was brought to his home town around midnight on Friday, is scheduled to be held around 10 am, sources in the family said. Rituals related to Ansari's burial are underway and the body will be taken to the Kali Bagh burial ground where a grave was dug on Friday, the sources said. Security personnel in large numbers have been deployed around the Ansari residence and the burial ground, which is located at distance of about a kilometre and a half. In a post on X on Friday, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA and Mukhtar Ansari's nephew Suhaib Ansari informed: "My uncle Mukhtar Ansari passed away last night. Tomorrow, at 10 am, he will be buried in our Kali Bagh graveyard of Yusufp

UP court orders judicial probe into mafia-politician Mukhtar Ansari's death

A chief judicial magistrate's court in Uttar Pradesh's Banda on Friday ordered a judicial inquiry into the death of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari, a senior official said. Banda Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Bhagwan Das Gupta appointed Garima Singh, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (MP-MLA Court Banda) as the investigating officer in the case, the official said. The CJM has sought the probe report within a month. The 63-year-old Ansari was brought to the Rani Durgavati Medical College in Banda from the district jail in "an unconscious state" on Thursday evening and died at the hospital following a cardiac arrest. Afzal Ansari, who is also the Ghazipur MP, on Tuesday alleged that his brother was given slow poison in jail. "Mukhtar said that he was given a poisonous substance in food in jail. This happened for the second time. Around 40 days ago also he was given poison. And recently, he was again given this (poison) due to which his condition is bad," Afzal Ansari had ...

Uttar Pradesh govt aims to increase maize production to over 3.2 mt

With robust maize output and downstream value chain, the government is looking to boost the state's rural economy and support its flagship trillion-dollar economy roadmap

UP ranks first in custodial deaths, all cases warrant probe: Cong's Pathak

Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh Pankhuri Pathak on Friday called for a judicial probe into every death in police custody, saying the state government and the police administration "becoming so uncontrolled" is "extremely worrying and dangerous". Pathak, the chairperson of the Congress's social media wing, also claimed that Uttar Pradesh occupies the top spot in the country in terms of custodial killings. Her remarks came after jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari's death at a hospital in Banda district of the state on Thursday. Ansari (63) was lodged in the Banda jail and died of a cardiac arrest. The family of the five-time MLA has alleged that Ansari was subjected to slow poisoning in the jail, a charge denied by the prison authorities. "There are reports of deaths in police custody/custodial killings every day in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in terms of custodial killing. No part or section of the state has remained untouched by this. A

Mukhtar Ansari's death: Akhilesh demands probe supervised by SC judge

Raising a question mark on the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh after the death of mafia don-turned-politician Mukhtan Ansari following a cardiac arrest in Banda, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said there should be a probe supervised by a Supreme Court judge into such doubtful cases. Ansari died in the Banda Medical College due to a cardiac arrest on Thursday. He was rushed to the hospital from the district jail after his health condition deteriorated. In a post in Hindi on X, Yadav said, "It is the foremost responsibility and duty of the government to protect someone's life in every situation and at every place." "The death of a hostage or prisoner in any of the following circumstances will erode public confidence in the judicial process -- while confined in a police station, in a fight inside the jail, on falling ill inside the prison, while being taken to hospital, during treatment in hospital, by showing a false encounter, by showing a false suicide,

Poisoning or heart attack? Controversy surrounds Mukhtar Ansari's death

Before Mukhtar Ansari's death, his brother Afzal Ansari publicly claimed that Mukhtar was being poisoned in jail as part of a 'conspiracy' to murder him

Jailed gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies; here's a look at his career

Mukhtar Ansari straddled the worlds of crime and politics in Uttar Pradesh. The gangster-politician was booked in 65 criminal cases ranging from murder to extortion and was elected an MLA five times on the tickets of different political parties. Ansari, 63, died of cardiac arrest in a hospital in Banda on Thursday. Born into an influential family in 1963, Ansari entered the world of crime to establish himself and his gang in the government contract mafia that was then flourishing in the state. His tryst with crime began as early as 1978, when Ansari was just 15 years of age. He had his first brush with the law when he was booked for criminal intimidation at Saidpur Police Station of Ghazipur. Almost a decade later in 1986, by the time he had become a well-known face in the contract mafia circle, another case of murder was lodged against him at Muhammad Police Station of Ghazipur. Over the next decade, Ansari became a common face of crime with at least 14 more cases under serious .