Page 2 - Uttar Pradesh

UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities Act appears to be draconian: SC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act appeared to be "draconian". The observation by a bench of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan came while it was hearing a plea filed by a man who has challenged a May 2023 Allahabad High Court order dismissing his application seeking to set aside proceedings against him pending before a district court in Kasganj in a case registered under the Act. "This Act appears to be draconian," the apex court observed. "We will consider it," the bench said while admitting the appeal. While hearing the matter in November last year, the SC had sought responses from the Uttar Pradesh government and others on the plea and said, "By way of ad-interim order, no coercive steps be taken against the petitioner qua Gangster Act." On Wednesday the petitioner's counsel said he has been booked in the case under the provisions of the 1986 Act on allegations of illegal mining in the Ganga

UP Board 2025: UPMSP releases class 10th, 12th centre list, details here

Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad (UPMSP) has announced the UP Board Exam 2025 centre list. Candidates can view the list on the official website at upmsp.edu.in

Rahul, Priyanka stopped at Ghazipur border on way to violence-hit Sambhal

Heavy chaos was seen at the border as Congress workers clashed with the police after Rahul and Priyanka were stopped at the border; Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 enforced

Amid 'no entry' for visitors, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka to visit Sambhal today

Congress MPs including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi plan to visit Sambhal on Wednesday to meet victims of recent violence, despite district restrictions imposed until December 10

Rahul to visit violence-hit Sambhal today amid ban on entry of outsiders

A Congress delegation led by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit the violence-hit Sambhal on Wednesday, with police and administration geared up to stop them before reaching the district. Prohibitory orders, including a ban on the entry of outsiders, are in place in Sambhal. Last week, several Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs were stopped from entering the district. Curbs under Section 163 (power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which were set to expire on Sunday, have now been extended till December 31 in Sambhal. Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia on Tuesday wrote a letter to the police commissioners of Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad and the superintendents of police of Amroha and Bulandshahr districts, urging them to stop Gandhi at the borders of their districts keeping in mind the "communal sensitivity" of Sambhal. Gandhi will be accompanied by five other Congress MPs

Protests erupt over claims on Lord Krishna's caste in Mathura, FIR filed

Wall inscriptions claiming that Lord Krishna was a Jat triggered protests in Mathura, prompting police to register an FIR and start a probe, officials said on Tuesday. According to mythology, Nandgaon in Mathura is believed to be the village Lord Krishna was brought to by his foster parents, Yashoda and Nand Baba, to protect him from King Kansa. Lord Krishna is traditionally regarded as a member of the Yaduvanshi lineage. Recently, writings under the title "The History of Nandgaon" cropped up on the walls of some shops and homes in Nandgaon that asserted that Lord Krishna was a Jat. The inscriptions included the name of one Kunwar Singh and a phone number. Attempts by locals to contact the number, however, were unsuccessful. As tension grew, subdivisional magistrate Sweta Singh directed the nagar panchayat to register a case. Clerk Ramjeet filed an FIR on Tuesday against Kunwar Singh for spreading misinformation about Lord Krishna and hurting public sentiment. The police said a

UP govt's panel for addressing farmers' issues to submit report in a month

The Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a committee to address grievances related to the ongoing farmers' protest and sought a report within one month. The directive was issued by Abhishek Prakash, Secretary of the Industrial Development Department. Over a hundred protesters including leaders of farmers' groups were taken into custody by the police in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Tuesday, according to Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh. Singh said that the women and elderly who were taken into custody during the protest were later released. The protesters were agitating over demands of compensation in lieu of their land acquired by the government in the past. According to the directive, issued on December 1, the committee has been tasked with examining complaints raised by farmers regarding land acquisition and compensation disputes. It will also review and investigate matters highlighted in earlier government orders dated February 21, 2024, and August 27, 2024. The panel is expected

Sambhal violence was pre-planned, aimed to disturb harmony: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed the violence in Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh was well-planned and aimed at disturbing communal harmony in a place that has long been a symbol of brotherhood. He also claimed that the court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid could hurt the 'Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb' of the country. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, the MP from Kannauj said Sambhal is known for its brotherhood and this "well-planned" violence has impacted that harmony. "The incident that took place was a planned conspiracy. The BJP and its allies have been talking about digging and their repeated talks of digging (the area) will hurt the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of the country," Yadav said. He alleged the Sambhal administration acted in haste and demanded suspension of the officers concerned and filing of a case against them. "This government doesn't respect the Constitution," the SP leader charged. On November 19, a court of civil judge (senio

Oppn MPs, Rahul Gandhi, stage walkout in Lok Sabha over Sambhal violence

Almost the entire opposition in the Lok Sabha, including Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday staged a brief walkout from the House over the recent violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal. As soon as the House assembled to take up the Question Hour, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav rose from his seat and raised the issue, seeking Speaker Om Birla's permission to speak on the subject. "This is a very serious matter. Five people have lost their lives," Yadav was heard saying. As the Speaker said members could raise the issue in the Zero Hour, Yadav and his party colleagues started to walk out in protest. Some SP members, meanwhile, rushed to the Well, raising slogans. While the SP members were protesting in the Well of the House, DMK member A Raja was seen exhorting other opposition members, including those from the Congress, to rise from their seats and join the SP protest. NCP and Shiv Sena-UBT members stood up in support of the Samajwadi Party MPs. Some of the

Sambhal violence: SP to provide legal aid to those 'falsely' booked: Ex-MP

A Samajwadi Party delegation on Monday met the accused in the Sambhal violence case at the Moradabad district jail here and assured legal help to those who have been "falsely" booked, former Lok Sabha MP and Moradabad mayor S T Hasan said. "We reached the jail at around 12.30 pm and met some of the accused during our stay which lasted around an hour. We had already approached the jail authorities for the meeting and the visit was then scheduled," Hasan, who led the delegation, told PTI. According to a prison official, slips were submitted in advance to facilitate the meeting. The delegation comprising MLAs Samarpal Singh from Naugawan Sadat in Amroha district and Nawab Jaan Khan from Thakurdwara had 15 people. Speaking outside the jail, Hasan told reporters, "Many individuals arrested after the Sambhal violence are imprisoned here. During such incidents, innocent bystanders often get caught up in the situation. We are here to offer legal support and ensure justice for those who hav

Indian states spending below NHP-recommended healthcare budget: Data

While Goa and Delhi are among the few states that exceed the national average, with Goa meeting the 8 per cent target, others like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar allocate less than 6 per cent to healthcare

Cong workers clash with cops in Lucknow after stopped from visiting Sambhal

Police have erected barricades outside the Uttar Pradesh Congress committee office and the residences of several party leaders who were to accompany the unit's chief Ajay Rai on a fact-finding visit to violence-hit Sambhal, a party spokesperson said on Monday. Vikas Srivastava, the spokesperson, said the barricades were erected on Sunday night itself. The Congress had plans to visit Sambhal on Monday. Speaking to PTI, Rai said, "We had decided to visit Sambhal on December 2 as the government ban on the entry of public representatives was to be lifted by November 30. Now, they have suddenly extended the ban till December 10. The government clearly wants to hide its flaws." Rai spent the night at the Congress committee office along with several party workers. "If prevented, we would agitate peacefully in a Gandhian way as we are followers of Mahatma Gandhi," he said. Violence erupted in Sambhal on November 24 during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, killing four peopl

Railways set to run 992 special trains to manage Kumbh Mela rush in 2025

Apart from special trains, the Indian Railways earmarked Rs 933 crore for developing and upgrading different infrastructure and facilities for passengers during Kumbh Mela 2025

Uttar Pradesh govt designates Maha Kumbh area in Prayagraj as new district

In a landmark decision, the Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has declared the Maha Kumbh area in Prayagraj as a new district.

Uttar Pradesh govt nets Rs 4 trn worth PPP projects across various sectors

In the fresh PPP policy being hammered out, the state is likely to hike viability gap funding contribution from existing 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the project cost

Judicial panel visit Sambhal, inspect areas where violence broke out

Amid tight security, members of a judicial commission on Sunday visited the Shahi Jama Masjid here and other areas which witnessed violence over a court-ordered survey of the Mughal-era mosque. Panel head retired Allahabad High Court judge Devendra Kumar Arora and retired IPS officer Arvind Kumar Jain were the two members of the three-member Commission which visited the areas that witnessed violence on November 24. The panel's third member, ex-IAS officer Amit Mohan Prasad, was not present during Sunday's visit. The Commission members, however, did not respond to any media queries during the visit in the morning hours. They were accompanied by Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, DIG Muniraj G along with the Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya and Superintendent of Police Krishan Kumar. Later, speaking to reporters, the Moradabad Divisional Commissioner said, "Today, the chairperson of the inquiry commission and one other member visited the site. Their

Sambhal mosque row: ASI seeks control, management of Mughal-era structure

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has submitted its response in a court -- which had allowed a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid here -- seeking control and management of the Mughal-era mosque as it is a protected heritage structure. Representing the ASI, lawyer Vishnu Sharma said the agency submitted its counterargument in the court on Friday, stating that it faced resistance from the mosque's management committee and locals in conducting surveys of the site. He said the ASI also highlighted an incident from January 19, 2018, when an FIR was filed against the mosque's management committee for installing steel railings on the mosque's steps without proper authorisation. The mosque, notified as an ASI-protected monument in 1920, is under the purview of the agency and as such, public access to the structure should be permitted, provided it adheres to ASI regulations, Sharma said. The ASI argued that control and management of the monument, including any structural modifications,

Judicial panel members may reach Sambhal today to probe Nov 24 violence

Two members of a three-member judicial commission formed by the Uttar Pradesh government to probe the November 24 violence in Sambhal reached Moradabad on Saturday, and are likely to visit the violence-hit town on Sunday, officials said. Moradabad Divisional Commissioner Aunjaneya Kumar Singh said, "Two members of the commission reached here on Saturday. The third member will join them on Sunday as they head to Sambhal." However, Singh did not identify the members who reached Moradabad on Saturday. Violence erupted in Sambhal on November 24 during a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid there, killing four persons and injuring many others. The survey was linked to a petition claiming that a Harihar temple once stood at the site of the mosque. The commission formed via a notification on November 28 has been directed to complete its probe within two months. Any extension of this timeline will require government approval. The commission headed by retired Allahabad High Court

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Controversy over Varanasi college land; Sunni Board claims Waqf property

Varanasi's Udai Pratap College is in controversy with the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board claiming that a mosque on the campus and the land in its vicinity is a Waqf property, a charge rejected by the college administration. A notice was sent to Udai Pratap College in 2018, claiming that the mosque on the campus and the land of the college were donated to the Waqf Board by the Nawab of Tonk. Therefore, the college campus is the property of the Waqf, said Principal DK Singh. "The notice came from Varanasi resident Wasim Ahmed Khan. At that time, the then secretary of the college had responded to the notice. In response to the notice, it was said that the mosque was built illegally, while the property of the college belongs to the trust, it can neither be bought nor sold," he added. Singh also said that the Waqf Board tried to construct a mosque later in 2022. The police stopped it after the college administration complained. The principal alleged that the mosque was stealing