<p>BJP which swept <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-civic-polls-bjp-ahead-in-16-mayor-seats-bsp-2-25597">the Uttar Pradesh civic polls won</a> a politically significant seat today - Amethi, which is the parliamentary constituency of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi.</p>

<p>BJP&#39;s Chandrama Devi clinched the Amethi Nagar Panchayat by 1,035 votes in Rahul Gandhi&#39;s family bastion.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Bharatiya Janta Party wins Nagar Panchayat in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Amethi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Amethi</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/936514673695846400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Amethi Nagarpalika trends: SP leading in Gauriganj, BJP leading in Jais</p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/936479328744833025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Polling was held for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had undertaken a whirlwind campaign criss-crossing the state to power the BJP, however, the opposition leaders did not campaign much with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati staying away.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rahul Gandhi&#39;s twitter handle had no reference to the UP civic polls even though it generated a lot of political heat throughout the day.</p>

<p>The Congress vice-president&#39;s twitter handle had this message today:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">22 ????? ?? ?????,<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4_%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%87_%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#??????_?????_????</a><br />
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?????????????? ?? ????? ????:<br />
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2002-16 ?? ??? ?62,549 Cr ?? ????? ????? ?? 4 ???? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ????<br />
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?????? ????? ????????? ?? ?????? 62% ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?3/ ????? ?? ????? ?24 ?? ????? ???????<br />
<br />
???? ?? ????, ????? ??????</p>
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/936413023211679744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 1, 2017</a></blockquote>
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BJP's Chandrama Devi clinched the Amethi Nagar Panchayat by 1,035 votes

BJP which swept the Uttar Pradesh civic polls won a politically significant seat today - Amethi, which is the parliamentary constituency of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. BJP's Chandrama Devi clinched the Amethi Nagar Panchayat by 1,035 votes in Rahul Gandhi's family bastion. Bharatiya Janta Party wins Nagar Panchayat in #Amethi — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 1, 2017 × Amethi Nagarpalika trends: SP leading in Gauriganj, BJP leading in Jais — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 1, 2017 × Polling was held for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats today. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had undertaken a whirlwind campaign criss-crossing the state to power the BJP, however, the opposition leaders did not campaign much with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati staying away. Rahul Gandhi's twitter handle had no reference to the UP civic polls even though it generated a lot of political heat throughout the day. The Congress vice-president's twitter handle had this message today: 22 ????? ?? ?????,#??????_?????_???? ?????????????? ?? ????? ????: 2002-16 ?? ??? ?62,549 Cr ?? ????? ????? ?? 4 ???? ???????? ?? ??? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ????????? ?? ?????? 62% ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ?3/ ????? ?? ????? ?24 ?? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ????, ????? ?????? — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 1, 2017 ×

Amethi: Rahul Gandhi's family bastion falls to BJP in UP civic falls

<p>The BJP is leading in 14 of 16 municipal corporations in Uttar Pradesh. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-civic-polls-counting-of-votes-begin-25561">Counting of votes began at 8 am</a> and results are expected by evening.</p>

<p>The civic body elections are being seen as a test for the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh after the party&#39;s big win in the state assembly elections earlier this year.</p>

<p>The BJP&#39;s candidates for mayor are leading in Lucknow, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Saharanpur and Pilhibit. The BJP candidate won the lucky draw in Mathura which was held after the BJP and the Congress candidates obtained the same number of votes. Former chief minister Mayawati&#39;s BSP is leading in two constituencies.</p>

<p>&nbsp;Lucknow will get its first woman mayor after 100 years. The seat has been reserved for women.</p>

<p>&quot;I don&#39;t consider anyone my competitor. I will be number one, no matter who is second or third,&quot; Sanyukta Bhatia, BJP Lucknow Mayor candidate told ANI this morning.</p>

<p>The BJP had won 10 of 12 municipal corporations in 2012. The corporations have been expanded to 16 this time.</p>

<p>Polling was held in three phases on November 22, 26 and 29.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A total of 79,113 candidates are in fray today.</p>

<p>The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left no stone unturned to ensure victory in all 652 urban local bodies across the state.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The BJP is leading in 14 of 16 municipal corporations in Uttar Pradesh

The BJP is leading in 14 of 16 municipal corporations in Uttar Pradesh. Counting of votes began at 8 am and results are expected by evening. The civic body elections are being seen as a test for the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh after the party's big win in the state assembly elections earlier this year. The BJP's candidates for mayor are leading in Lucknow, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Gorakhpur, Saharanpur and Pilhibit. The BJP candidate won the lucky draw in Mathura which was held after the BJP and the Congress candidates obtained the same number of votes. Former chief minister Mayawati's BSP is leading in two constituencies. Lucknow will get its first woman mayor after 100 years. The seat has been reserved for women. "I don't consider anyone my competitor. I will be number one, no matter who is second or third," Sanyukta Bhatia, BJP Lucknow Mayor candidate told ANI this morning. The BJP had won 10 of 12 municipal corporations in 2012. The corporations have been expanded to 16 this time. Polling was held in three phases on November 22, 26 and 29. A total of 79,113 candidates are in fray today. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left no stone unturned to ensure victory in all 652 urban local bodies across the state.

BJP gains early lead in UP civic polls

<p>Counting of votes of all 652 Urban Local Bodies will be held on Friday at 334 centers in Uttar Pradesh.</p>

<p>Counting will start at 8 am and results are expected by evening.</p>

<p>Polling was held in three phases on November 22, 26 and 29.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A total of 79,113 candidates are in fray today.</p>

<p>Elaborate security arrangements have been made at counting centers.</p>

<p>Central Para Military Forces have been deployed in and around the centers.</p>

<p>CCTV cameras have been set up for close monitoring and arrangements made for web casting of the counting process.</p>

<p>No procession is allowed during the counting and following the announcement of results.</p>

<p>After 100 years, Lucknow will get its first woman mayor as this time, the Lucknow mayoral seat has been reserved for women.</p>

<p>The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left no stone unturned to ensure victory in all 652 urban local bodies across the state.</p>

<p>The election is being seen as the first test for Yogi Adityanath&#39;s government in UP after coming to power with a massive mandate in the state this year.&nbsp;</p>


After 100 years, Lucknow will get its first woman mayor as this time, the Lucknow mayoral seat has been reserved for women

Counting of votes of all 652 Urban Local Bodies will be held on Friday at 334 centers in Uttar Pradesh. Counting will start at 8 am and results are expected by evening. Polling was held in three phases on November 22, 26 and 29. A total of 79,113 candidates are in fray today. Elaborate security arrangements have been made at counting centers. Central Para Military Forces have been deployed in and around the centers. CCTV cameras have been set up for close monitoring and arrangements made for web casting of the counting process. No procession is allowed during the counting and following the announcement of results. After 100 years, Lucknow will get its first woman mayor as this time, the Lucknow mayoral seat has been reserved for women. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left no stone unturned to ensure victory in all 652 urban local bodies across the state. The election is being seen as the first test for Yogi Adityanath's government in UP after coming to power with a massive mandate in the state this year.

UP Civic polls: Counting of votes begins

<p>In what has been dubbed as Yogi Adityanath&#39;s first big electoral test after assuming office as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, ruling BJP swept the Uttar Pradesh civic polls bagging nine of the ten mayoral seats for which results were declared till evening while leading in six others where the counting was in progress.</p>

<p>The ruling BJP bagged several prestigious mayoral seats including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Lucknow, Gorakhpur and was leading in several others.</p>

<p>Opposition Congress again fared poorly, including in its bastion of Amethi, while the BSP had some reason to cheer as its candidate snatched the Aligarh mayoral seat, a traditional BJP stronghold, reports say.</p>

<p>In Ayodhya, BJP&#39;s Rishikesh Upadhyay secured 44,642 votes and defeated nearest rival SP&#39;s Gulshan Bindu, a transgender, by 3,601 votes.</p>

<p>In Prime Minister Narendra Modi Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi, BJP candidate Mridula Jaiswal defeating her nearest opponent, Shalini of the Congress, by a comfortable margin of 78,843 votes.</p>

<p>In Lucknow, BJP&#39;s Sanyukta Bhatia became the first woman mayor of the state capital defeating nearest rival, Samajwadi Party&#39;s Meera Vardhan, by a huge margin of 1,31,356 votes.</p>

<p>In Gorakhpur, the home turf of Chief Minister Adityanath, BJP candidate Sitaram Jaiswal defeated Rahul Gupta of SP by 75,823 votes.</p>

<p>In western UP&#39;s Moradabad, BJP candidate Vinod Agarwal edged past Congress&#39;s Rizvan Qureishi by a margin of 22,635 votes.</p>

<p>In Saharanpur too BJP candidate Madan Walia fended off the challenge from BSP rival Fazlurehman to win by 2,000 votes.</p>

<p>The saffron party&#39;s Mukesh won the Mathura-Vrindavan seat defeating nearest rival Mohan Singh of Congress by 22,108 votes.</p>

<p>In Aligarh, however, BSP&#39;s Mohammad Furqan wrested the saffron stronghold defeating BJP&#39;s Rajiv Agarwal by a margin of 11,990 votes in what was virtually a direct fight.</p>

<p>Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who went on a whirl wind tour of the state to ensure the victory of his party candidates, described it as a &quot;historic win&quot;.</p>

<p>He attributed the victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s vision and BJP chief Amit Shah&#39;s guidance.</p>

<p>Now the BJP will now look forward to achieving the goal of hundred per cent success in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he added. Adityanath said that the Congress had been wiped out in its bastion Amethi.</p>

<p>Polling was held for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats with an average turnout of all the three phases estimated at 52.5 per cent of the 3.32 crore voters.&nbsp;</p>


Opposition Congress again fared poorly, including in its bastion of Amethi, while the BSP had some reason to cheer as its candidate snatched the Aligarh mayoral seat, a traditional BJP stronghold, reports say.

In what has been dubbed as Yogi Adityanath's first big electoral test after assuming office as Uttar Pradesh chief minister, ruling BJP swept the Uttar Pradesh civic polls bagging nine of the ten mayoral seats for which results were declared till evening while leading in six others where the counting was in progress. The ruling BJP bagged several prestigious mayoral seats including Ayodhya, Varanasi, Lucknow, Gorakhpur and was leading in several others. Opposition Congress again fared poorly, including in its bastion of Amethi, while the BSP had some reason to cheer as its candidate snatched the Aligarh mayoral seat, a traditional BJP stronghold, reports say. In Ayodhya, BJP's Rishikesh Upadhyay secured 44,642 votes and defeated nearest rival SP's Gulshan Bindu, a transgender, by 3,601 votes. In Prime Minister Narendra Modi Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi, BJP candidate Mridula Jaiswal defeating her nearest opponent, Shalini of the Congress, by a comfortable margin of 78,843 votes. In Lucknow, BJP's Sanyukta Bhatia became the first woman mayor of the state capital defeating nearest rival, Samajwadi Party's Meera Vardhan, by a huge margin of 1,31,356 votes. In Gorakhpur, the home turf of Chief Minister Adityanath, BJP candidate Sitaram Jaiswal defeated Rahul Gupta of SP by 75,823 votes. In western UP's Moradabad, BJP candidate Vinod Agarwal edged past Congress's Rizvan Qureishi by a margin of 22,635 votes. In Saharanpur too BJP candidate Madan Walia fended off the challenge from BSP rival Fazlurehman to win by 2,000 votes. The saffron party's Mukesh won the Mathura-Vrindavan seat defeating nearest rival Mohan Singh of Congress by 22,108 votes. In Aligarh, however, BSP's Mohammad Furqan wrested the saffron stronghold defeating BJP's Rajiv Agarwal by a margin of 11,990 votes in what was virtually a direct fight. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who went on a whirl wind tour of the state to ensure the victory of his party candidates, described it as a "historic win". He attributed the victory to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision and BJP chief Amit Shah's guidance. Now the BJP will now look forward to achieving the goal of hundred per cent success in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he added. Adityanath said that the Congress had been wiped out in its bastion Amethi. Polling was held for 16 nagar nigams, 198 nagar palika parishads and 438 nagar panchayats with an average turnout of all the three phases estimated at 52.5 per cent of the 3.32 crore voters.

UP civic poll: BJP bags 9 out of 10 seats declared, leads in 6

<p>The second phase of the urban body elections in Uttar Pradesh got underway on Sunday morning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The polls are held for twenty-five districts on the second phase. Voters from 24 districts cast their votes in the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/uttar-pradesh-local-body-elections-24-districts-to-undergo-polls-today-24789" target="_blank">first phase of the elections </a>held on November 22.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The third and the last phase of the elections will be held on November 29. Twenty-six districts will vote during the last phase of the election.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The counting of votes will be held on December 1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The urban body elections will be the&nbsp;first test for&nbsp;the eight-month-old Yogi Adityanath&#39;s government.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The&nbsp;first phase of urban body elections recorded a voter turnout of 52 per cent.</p>

<p>Congress bastion Amethi recorded the second highest voter turnout of 68.44 per cent while Adityanath&#39;s constituency Gorakhpur recorded the lowest poll percentage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The highest polling percentage of&nbsp;69.59 per cent turnout in the first phase was recorded at&nbsp;Hamirpur.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Uttar Pradesh local body polls: Home Minister Rajnath Singh leaves after casting his vote in Lucknow <a href="https://t.co/KPJULyvsbK">pic.twitter.com/KPJULyvsbK</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/934638303671812096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Local body polls: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya &amp; wife Rajkumari Devi cast their votes in Allahabad <a href="https://t.co/LBFDm8vIoD">pic.twitter.com/LBFDm8vIoD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/934629148600950784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Local body polls: UP Minister Mohsin Raza casts his vote in Lucknow <a href="https://t.co/0Ac7lDu1kg">pic.twitter.com/0Ac7lDu1kg</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/934611950821978112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Voting for second phase of local body elections in Uttar Pradesh begins (visuals from Varanasi) <a href="https://t.co/r9w6OKsElz">pic.twitter.com/r9w6OKsElz</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/934606721154031616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Local body polls: Voting underway in Aligarh <a href="https://t.co/khOwVdQfAV">pic.twitter.com/khOwVdQfAV</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/934615011216916480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya cast?their votes on the second phase of urban body elections in UP

The second phase of the urban body elections in Uttar Pradesh got underway on Sunday morning. The polls are held for twenty-five districts on the second phase. Voters from 24 districts cast their votes in the first phase of the elections held on November 22. The third and the last phase of the elections will be held on November 29. Twenty-six districts will vote during the last phase of the election. The counting of votes will be held on December 1. The urban body elections will be the first test for the eight-month-old Yogi Adityanath's government. The first phase of urban body elections recorded a voter turnout of 52 per cent. Congress bastion Amethi recorded the second highest voter turnout of 68.44 per cent while Adityanath's constituency Gorakhpur recorded the lowest poll percentage. The highest polling percentage of 69.59 per cent turnout in the first phase was recorded at Hamirpur. Uttar Pradesh local body polls: Home Minister Rajnath Singh leaves after casting his vote in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/KPJULyvsbK — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 26, 2017 × Local body polls: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya & wife Rajkumari Devi cast their votes in Allahabad pic.twitter.com/LBFDm8vIoD — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 26, 2017 × Local body polls: UP Minister Mohsin Raza casts his vote in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/0Ac7lDu1kg — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 26, 2017 × Voting for second phase of local body elections in Uttar Pradesh begins (visuals from Varanasi) pic.twitter.com/r9w6OKsElz — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 26, 2017 × Local body polls: Voting underway in Aligarh pic.twitter.com/khOwVdQfAV — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 26, 2017 ×

Second phase of UP urban body polls get underway

<p>Sanjay Leela Bhansali perhaps could have never imagined that his magnum opus Padmavati would divide an entire country with contrasting opinions. &nbsp;Right from the time the filming of Padmavati began, there have been agitations around the film. In January Rajput Karni Sena, stormed the sets of the film, thrashed the director and vandalised the sets.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
While assurance from Bhansali productions came soon after that the film did not distort history or disrespect Rajput history in any manner, opposition against the film continued to grow.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Things took an ugly turn when the film&#39;s trailer released in October as protestors gained steam. While earlier the group had objected to an alleged dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji - which the makers assured did not exist- later the protestors claimed that the film distorted history.<br />
<br />
The protests in the past few weeks have gained momentum after various state governments also raised objection towards the film. While the release of the film has been deferred- it was earlier scheduled to release on December 1- many of the states have declared a ban on the film&#39;s screening.<br />
<br />
Here is a quick look at which of the states have opposed to&nbsp;</p>

<p>The protests began in <strong>Rajasthan</strong> back in January when Rajput Karni Sena vandalised the film&#39;s set. Later in September, Karni Sena&#39;s Lokendra Singh Kalvi reiterates that his organisation will oppose the film&#39;s screening if facts are &quot;distorted&quot;. Earlier in November, protest by the Karni Sena against the film picked up the pace in Rajasthan with a complete bandh observed in Chittorgarh. Now, the state CM Vasundhara Raje has stated that the film will not be released in the state until changes in the film are made.The Chief Minister had suggested that the film and its plot should be reviewed by a committee of renowned historians, film personalities, and representatives of society at large.<br />
Members of BJP wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking a ban on the release of the film in Gujarat in the wake of the assembly elections in the state. Expressing concern about distortion of history in the movie, the BJP leaders stated that CBFC should only release the film after the &#39;objectionable&#39; scenes are removed.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
In Noida,<strong> Uttar Pradesh</strong>, members of the Karni Sena had vandalised a cinema hall for screening the trailer of the film earlier this month. The UP Home Minister had even written a letter to the Censor board to consider the sentiments of the people before certifying the film. They feared if the film released it would affect the peace and harmony in the state. Now CM Yogi Adityanath has stated that the film will be not be screened in the state if the desired cuts are not made. &quot;Sentiments of the people of the state should not be hurt,&quot; reiterated Yogi.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p>Uttar Pradesh chief minister said his government&#39;s view on the Padmawati row has already been conveyed to India&#39;s information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani. (ANI)</p>
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<p>In <strong>Madhya Pradesh</strong>, the state CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared a ban on the film and stated that the decision was taken after he received requests from various Rajput groups appealing for a ban on the film&#39;s release.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have also expressed concern over the film&#39;s content. <strong>Punjab</strong> Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has said, &quot;Nobody will accept the distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, National Conference leader Devender Singh Rana has also written to<strong> Jammu and Kashmir </strong>Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asking her not to allow the release of the film until its contents have been verified.</p>

<p>In Coimbatore, <strong>Tamil Nadu</strong>, members of the Karni Sena staged a protest a few days back demanding a ban on the film&#39;s release in the state as they alleged the film distorted history.</p>

<p>Rajput communities in <strong>Bihar </strong>too have protested against the film.&nbsp; News of protest from Patna, Bhagalpur and Supaul have been reported.&nbsp;Bihar minister Jay Kumar Singh and BJP MLA Gayanu Singh, both from Rajput community, have extended their support&nbsp; to the protestors.</p>

<p>While most state CMS have opposed the film&#39;s release, <strong>West Bengal</strong> chief minister Mamata Banerjee has extended her support to Padmavati. On Monday, Banerjee took to Twitter to show her support for the film. Calling the controversy &#39;unfortunate&#39;, Banerjee stated that the film industry must come together and fight as one.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice</p>
&mdash; Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/932496407730126848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Echoing Ms. Banerjee&#39;s sentiments, the <strong>Karnataka </strong>government on Tuesday declared its support to the film. The film&#39;s leading lady Deepika Padukone belongs to the state and the government has stepped up security for Padukone&#39;s parents who reside in Bangalore. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to take stringent action against those threatening Padukone for her role in the film.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I condemn the culture of intolerance and hate perpetuated by the BJP,&rdquo; Siddaramaiah tweeted. &ldquo;Karnataka stands with Deepika Padukone. She is a globally-renowned artist from our state.&rdquo;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I condemn the culture of intolerance &amp; hate perpetuated by <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4India</a> .<br />
<br />
Karnataka stands with <a href="https://twitter.com/deepikapadukone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@deepikapadukone</a> .She is a globally renowned artist from our state.<br />
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I call upon the CM of Haryana <a href="https://twitter.com/mlkhattar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mlkhattar</a> to take strict action against those holding out threats against her. <a href="https://t.co/d8rahml5MZ">https://t.co/d8rahml5MZ</a></p>
&mdash; Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) <a href="https://twitter.com/siddaramaiah/status/932504161005928448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


UP, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have asked for a ban on the release while Karnataka and West Bengal have extended support

Sanjay Leela Bhansali perhaps could have never imagined that his magnum opus Padmavati would divide an entire country with contrasting opinions. Right from the time the filming of Padmavati began, there have been agitations around the film. In January Rajput Karni Sena, stormed the sets of the film, thrashed the director and vandalised the sets. While assurance from Bhansali productions came soon after that the film did not distort history or disrespect Rajput history in any manner, opposition against the film continued to grow. Things took an ugly turn when the film's trailer released in October as protestors gained steam. While earlier the group had objected to an alleged dream sequence between Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji - which the makers assured did not exist- later the protestors claimed that the film distorted history. The protests in the past few weeks have gained momentum after various state governments also raised objection towards the film. While the release of the film has been deferred- it was earlier scheduled to release on December 1- many of the states have declared a ban on the film's screening. Here is a quick look at which of the states have opposed to The protests began in Rajasthan back in January when Rajput Karni Sena vandalised the film's set. Later in September, Karni Sena's Lokendra Singh Kalvi reiterates that his organisation will oppose the film's screening if facts are "distorted". Earlier in November, protest by the Karni Sena against the film picked up the pace in Rajasthan with a complete bandh observed in Chittorgarh. Now, the state CM Vasundhara Raje has stated that the film will not be released in the state until changes in the film are made.The Chief Minister had suggested that the film and its plot should be reviewed by a committee of renowned historians, film personalities, and representatives of society at large. Members of BJP wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner seeking a ban on the release of the film in Gujarat in the wake of the assembly elections in the state. Expressing concern about distortion of history in the movie, the BJP leaders stated that CBFC should only release the film after the 'objectionable' scenes are removed. In Noida, Uttar Pradesh, members of the Karni Sena had vandalised a cinema hall for screening the trailer of the film earlier this month. The UP Home Minister had even written a letter to the Censor board to consider the sentiments of the people before certifying the film. They feared if the film released it would affect the peace and harmony in the state. Now CM Yogi Adityanath has stated that the film will be not be screened in the state if the desired cuts are not made. "Sentiments of the people of the state should not be hurt," reiterated Yogi. Uttar Pradesh chief minister said his government's view on the Padmawati row has already been conveyed to India's information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani. (ANI) × In Madhya Pradesh, the state CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan declared a ban on the film and stated that the decision was taken after he received requests from various Rajput groups appealing for a ban on the film's release. Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have also expressed concern over the film's content. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has said, "Nobody will accept the distortion of history and those who are protesting are rightly doing so." Meanwhile, National Conference leader Devender Singh Rana has also written to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti asking her not to allow the release of the film until its contents have been verified. In Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, members of the Karni Sena staged a protest a few days back demanding a ban on the film's release in the state as they alleged the film distorted history. Rajput communities in Bihar too have protested against the film. News of protest from Patna, Bhagalpur and Supaul have been reported. Bihar minister Jay Kumar Singh and BJP MLA Gayanu Singh, both from Rajput community, have extended their support to the protestors. While most state CMS have opposed the film's release, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has extended her support to Padmavati. On Monday, Banerjee took to Twitter to show her support for the film. Calling the controversy 'unfortunate', Banerjee stated that the film industry must come together and fight as one. The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2017 × Echoing Ms. Banerjee's sentiments, the Karnataka government on Tuesday declared its support to the film. The film's leading lady Deepika Padukone belongs to the state and the government has stepped up security for Padukone's parents who reside in Bangalore. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar to take stringent action against those threatening Padukone for her role in the film. “I condemn the culture of intolerance and hate perpetuated by the BJP,” Siddaramaiah tweeted. “Karnataka stands with Deepika Padukone. She is a globally-renowned artist from our state.” I condemn the culture of intolerance & hate perpetuated by @BJP4India . Karnataka stands with @deepikapadukone .She is a globally renowned artist from our state. I call upon the CM of Haryana @mlkhattar to take strict action against those holding out threats against her. https://t.co/d8rahml5MZ — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) November 20, 2017 ×

Padmavati: Various chief ministers speak for and against release

<p>Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday administered the municipal corporations to execute a ban on burning garbage in urban areas.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With current pollution levels increasing in the national capital, Adityanath has also ordered to develop &#39;artificial rain&#39; with the help of latest technology in Lucknow, taking Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur on board to carry out the procedure, according to reports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He has also directed to install several water sprinklers on roads and execute a ban on burning crop residue, reports said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The UP CM has decided to organize campaigns to create awareness on pollution and preventive steps in rural areas through FM and community radio which will run until 15th January.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Other measures included: suspension of work in about 123 industrial units, cancelled registration of vehicles which are over 10 years old and also fines of over 200 vehicles for violating pollution norms - which were earlier directed by&nbsp;NGT, according to reports.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The practice of burning of crop residue by farmers of the two states of Punjab and Haryana has been blamed for the toxic smog enveloping the region every winter.</p>

<p>Delhi is said to be the world&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-pollution-children-are-inhaling-cigarette-the-moment-they-are-born-24287">most polluted capital</a> according to the WHO, exceeding pollution levels in Beijing.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Delhi is said to be the world's most polluted capital according to the WHO, exceeding pollution levels in Beijing.? ?

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday administered the municipal corporations to execute a ban on burning garbage in urban areas. With current pollution levels increasing in the national capital, Adityanath has also ordered to develop 'artificial rain' with the help of latest technology in Lucknow, taking Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur on board to carry out the procedure, according to reports. He has also directed to install several water sprinklers on roads and execute a ban on burning crop residue, reports said. The UP CM has decided to organize campaigns to create awareness on pollution and preventive steps in rural areas through FM and community radio which will run until 15th January. Other measures included: suspension of work in about 123 industrial units, cancelled registration of vehicles which are over 10 years old and also fines of over 200 vehicles for violating pollution norms - which were earlier directed by NGT, according to reports. The practice of burning of crop residue by farmers of the two states of Punjab and Haryana has been blamed for the toxic smog enveloping the region every winter. Delhi is said to be the world's most polluted capital according to the WHO, exceeding pollution levels in Beijing.

Adityanath's anti-pollution plan: Ban garbage burning, implement 'artificial rain'

<p>Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday morning.</p>

<p>The meeting was held at the residence of Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sri Sri Ravi Shankar arrives at UP CM Yogi Adityanath&#39;s residence in Lucknow to meet him. <a href="https://t.co/yirpLTuW4l">pic.twitter.com/yirpLTuW4l</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/930648256039698432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meets UP CM Yogi Adityanath at the latter&#39;s residence in Lucknow. <a href="https://t.co/7HJf42qEUk">pic.twitter.com/7HJf42qEUk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/930648770794196992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The meeting is set in the backdrop of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sri-sri-ravishankar-to-visit-ayodhya-on-november-16-24086" target="_blank">Ayodhya issue</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Art of Living founder had earlier said that he will be speaking to &quot;all stakeholders&quot; involved in the Ayodhya issue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amarnath Mishra, who is the interlocutor for the Ram temple issue had met with the spiritual leader&nbsp;last week, reports said.</p>

<p>On October 31st, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had held talks with Shia Waqf Board and representatives of the Hindu Mahasabha.</p>

<p>The final hearing of the Ayodhya issue will begin in the Supreme Court on December 5th.</p>

<p>In 2010, the Allahabad High Court had accepted the disputed site in Ayodhya as the birthplace of Lord Ram. The Supreme Court had however suspended the judgement in 2011.</p>


The Art of Living founder had said earlier that he will be speaking to 'all stakeholders' involved in the Ayodhya issue?

Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar met with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday morning. The meeting was held at the residence of Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar arrives at UP CM Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow to meet him. pic.twitter.com/yirpLTuW4l — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 15, 2017 × Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meets UP CM Yogi Adityanath at the latter's residence in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/7HJf42qEUk — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 15, 2017 × The meeting is set in the backdrop of Ayodhya issue. The Art of Living founder had earlier said that he will be speaking to "all stakeholders" involved in the Ayodhya issue. Amarnath Mishra, who is the interlocutor for the Ram temple issue had met with the spiritual leader last week, reports said. On October 31st, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had held talks with Shia Waqf Board and representatives of the Hindu Mahasabha. The final hearing of the Ayodhya issue will begin in the Supreme Court on December 5th. In 2010, the Allahabad High Court had accepted the disputed site in Ayodhya as the birthplace of Lord Ram. The Supreme Court had however suspended the judgement in 2011.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meets Yogi Adityanath to discuss Ayodhya issue

<p>An ash-pipe exploded at NTPC pant in Raibareli, Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The death toll in the explosion has risen to 31.</p>

<p>22 people with severe burn injuries have been referred to Lucknow for treatment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>UP ADG&nbsp;claimed that about 60-70 people sustained injuries in the incident. However, the District Magistrate had previously reported 100 injuries.</p>

<p>The explosion occurred&nbsp;because of pressure,&nbsp;DM Raebareli said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident.&nbsp;He&nbsp;directed principal secretary home to ensure all steps for rescue and relief were taken.&nbsp;</p>

<p>CM Yogi also has announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next kin of the people who died in the incident.</p>

<p>The state government will also give Rs 50,000 for critically injured while Rs 25,000 for those who have suffered light injured.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>

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UP CM Yogi has announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next kin of the people who died in the incident

An ash-pipe exploded at NTPC pant in Raibareli, Uttar Pradesh. The death toll in the explosion has risen to 31. 22 people with severe burn injuries have been referred to Lucknow for treatment. UP ADG claimed that about 60-70 people sustained injuries in the incident. However, the District Magistrate had previously reported 100 injuries. The explosion occurred because of pressure, DM Raebareli said. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the incident. He directed principal secretary home to ensure all steps for rescue and relief were taken. CM Yogi also has announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for next kin of the people who died in the incident. The state government will also give Rs 50,000 for critically injured while Rs 25,000 for those who have suffered light injured. (With inputs from ANI)

Video: Ash-pipe explodes at NTPC in UP; 31 dead

<p>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth has said that Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card facility for Indian origin people in Mauritius will further strengthen bilateral ties and will give them chance to know the land of their ancestors closely.</p>

<p>&quot;OCI card facility to the people of Indian origin living in Mauritius will further strengthen ties between the two countries,&quot; the chief minister, who is on an official visit to Mauritius, said.</p>

<p>OCI is a scheme that was introduced in response to demands for dual citizenship by the Indian diaspora.</p>

<p>Addressing a function at Port Louis organised by the Indian High Commission yesterday, the chief minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s visit to Mauritius in 2015 brought a new high in relations between the two countries and hoped Modi&#39;s initiative will open new doors of development in Mauritius.</p>

<p>A senior state government official, quoting the chief minister, said the OCI card facility will help them know the land of their ancestors closely.</p>

<p>The chief minister, who also issued OCI cards to some of the NRIs on the occasion, highlighted in detail facilities like lifetime visa and exemption from taking work permit that the cardholders will be entitled to.</p>

<p>Referring to the &quot;discover your roots&quot; scheme of the UP tourism department, the chief minister said it can help anyone of Indian origin to contact the department for getting information about the village of their forefathers.</p>

<p>The tourism department will contact the district officials of the area and gather information for them, he said.</p>

<p>Highlighting the tourism potential of the state, the chief minister mentioned Ram Janmbhoomi and Krishna Janmbhoomi besides other historical monuments and places of natural beauty and stressed that Uttar Pradesh has places of interests for all types of tourists.</p>


Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) is a scheme that was introduced in response to demands for dual citizenship by the Indian diaspora

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth has said that Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card facility for Indian origin people in Mauritius will further strengthen bilateral ties and will give them chance to know the land of their ancestors closely. "OCI card facility to the people of Indian origin living in Mauritius will further strengthen ties between the two countries," the chief minister, who is on an official visit to Mauritius, said. OCI is a scheme that was introduced in response to demands for dual citizenship by the Indian diaspora. Addressing a function at Port Louis organised by the Indian High Commission yesterday, the chief minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mauritius in 2015 brought a new high in relations between the two countries and hoped Modi's initiative will open new doors of development in Mauritius. A senior state government official, quoting the chief minister, said the OCI card facility will help them know the land of their ancestors closely. The chief minister, who also issued OCI cards to some of the NRIs on the occasion, highlighted in detail facilities like lifetime visa and exemption from taking work permit that the cardholders will be entitled to. Referring to the "discover your roots" scheme of the UP tourism department, the chief minister said it can help anyone of Indian origin to contact the department for getting information about the village of their forefathers. The tourism department will contact the district officials of the area and gather information for them, he said. Highlighting the tourism potential of the state, the chief minister mentioned Ram Janmbhoomi and Krishna Janmbhoomi besides other historical monuments and places of natural beauty and stressed that Uttar Pradesh has places of interests for all types of tourists.

Overseas Citizenship of India card facility to boost India's ties with Mauritius: Yogi Adityanath

<p>Weeks after the being attacked by four unidentified youth at Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, Swiss couple has now been offered an all-expense paid two-night stay at Delhi&#39;s Ashok hotel by the country&#39;s tourism minister KJ Alphons.</p>

<p>Citing it as a &#39;token of concern&#39; in a letter to the couple, the tourism minister has asked them to pick a date for their stay at the hotel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Trust you are recovering fast and would be on your way home soon. As a token of our concern, we would like to offer you a room at our luxury hotel, The Ashok, at Chankyapuri, New Delhi for two nights on the dates of your choice. All expenses at the hotel, including food and beverages, would be covered,&quot; KJ Alphons said in the letter.</p>

<p>Run by ITDC, The Ashok hotel is situated 2km from Rashtrapati Bhavan and the tariff per night at the hotel is around Rs 10,000.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The couple who are currently recovering at Delhi&#39;s Apollo Hospital was attacked by four unidentified youth at Fatehpur Sikri on October 22. As they lay on the ground, injured, the locals shot videos of them instead of calling for&nbsp;help.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Soon after the incident, the tourism minister had written to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath inquiring about the incident and had even gone and met the couple.&nbsp;</p>


Citing it as a 'token of concern' in a letter to the couple, the tourism minister has asked them to pick a date for their stay at Delhi's Ashok Hotel.

Weeks after the being attacked by four unidentified youth at Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, Swiss couple has now been offered an all-expense paid two-night stay at Delhi's Ashok hotel by the country's tourism minister KJ Alphons. Citing it as a 'token of concern' in a letter to the couple, the tourism minister has asked them to pick a date for their stay at the hotel. "Trust you are recovering fast and would be on your way home soon. As a token of our concern, we would like to offer you a room at our luxury hotel, The Ashok, at Chankyapuri, New Delhi for two nights on the dates of your choice. All expenses at the hotel, including food and beverages, would be covered," KJ Alphons said in the letter. Run by ITDC, The Ashok hotel is situated 2km from Rashtrapati Bhavan and the tariff per night at the hotel is around Rs 10,000. The couple who are currently recovering at Delhi's Apollo Hospital was attacked by four unidentified youth at Fatehpur Sikri on October 22. As they lay on the ground, injured, the locals shot videos of them instead of calling for help. Soon after the incident, the tourism minister had written to Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath inquiring about the incident and had even gone and met the couple.

Attacked Swiss couple offered free stay at five-star hotel

<p>Uttar Pradesh&#39;s chief minister Yogi Adityanath&#39;s predilection for saffron tint is well-known. After flagging off a fleet of 50 buses painted saffron, besides distributing saffron school bags, the saffron-clad BJP leader is giving office building a saffron hue.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lal Bahadur Shashtri Bhawan, which houses the chief minister&rsquo;s office, is getting the saffron hue.</p>

<p>The CM&#39;s office in Lucknow, seen only in white or off-white for decades, is getting a white-and-saffron colour scheme for the first time, news reports said quoting officials. The building is also getting repaired besides getting the bright new layer.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UttarPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UttarPradesh</a>: CM office in Lucknow being painted in saffron color, work underway <a href="https://t.co/RM9bKxcR9f">pic.twitter.com/RM9bKxcR9f</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/925211182222385152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Chief Minister&#39;s office is on the fifth floor of the building, popularly known as Pancham Tal.</p>

<p>The CM recently flagged off a fleet of 50 buses that were painted saffron. The stage for the inauguration was decorated with saffron-coloured curtains and the buses saffron-coloured balloons.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The education department had distributed saffron school bags in government primary schools, to replace the ones that featured former CM Akhilesh Yadav&rsquo;s photograph.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Booklets that were distributed to mark 100 days and six months of the Adityanath government were saffron in colour as well. The information diary of the state government, which contains details of various officials, is also saffron.</p>


The CM's office in Lucknow, seen only in white or off-white for decades, is getting a white-and-saffron colour scheme for the first time,

Uttar Pradesh's chief minister Yogi Adityanath's predilection for saffron tint is well-known. After flagging off a fleet of 50 buses painted saffron, besides distributing saffron school bags, the saffron-clad BJP leader is giving office building a saffron hue. Lal Bahadur Shashtri Bhawan, which houses the chief minister’s office, is getting the saffron hue. The CM's office in Lucknow, seen only in white or off-white for decades, is getting a white-and-saffron colour scheme for the first time, news reports said quoting officials. The building is also getting repaired besides getting the bright new layer. #UttarPradesh: CM office in Lucknow being painted in saffron color, work underway pic.twitter.com/RM9bKxcR9f — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 31, 2017 × The Chief Minister's office is on the fifth floor of the building, popularly known as Pancham Tal. The CM recently flagged off a fleet of 50 buses that were painted saffron. The stage for the inauguration was decorated with saffron-coloured curtains and the buses saffron-coloured balloons. The education department had distributed saffron school bags in government primary schools, to replace the ones that featured former CM Akhilesh Yadav’s photograph. Booklets that were distributed to mark 100 days and six months of the Adityanath government were saffron in colour as well. The information diary of the state government, which contains details of various officials, is also saffron.

After buses and school bags, Yogi Adityanath paints office saffron

<p>BJP chief Amit Shah will join Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the election campaign to address his first public meeting in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh on Monday.</p>

<p>Shah will be in the state for two days. During his trip, the BJP president will address four rallies and hold a number of party meetings, including the state party&#39;s core group, a party leader said.</p>

<p>The party chief is expected to hold close to 15 rallies during the entire Himachal election campaign. Shah will address a public rally each at Banikhet and Chalwara on Monday,&nbsp;sources added.</p>

<p>On Sunday, Adityanath had said that&nbsp;Congress has turned the land of Gods into the land of crime, urging the people of Himachal Pradesh to vote for the BJP to end the mafia rule in the state.</p>

<p>Campaigning for BJP candidates at Arki and Haroli, he said only crime and corruption increased under the rule of Congress in Himachal Pradesh. &quot;The Congress has turned the &#39;dev bhoomi&#39; (land of Gods) into &#39;apraadh bhoomi&#39; (land of crime). It has sullied the name of the state, which is now known as forest and mining mafia, and illegal activities,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The BJP is hopeful of getting a clear majority by defeating the incumbent Congress government in the North Indian state.</p>

<p>The elections for the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly will take place on&nbsp;November 9. The results will be declared on&nbsp;December 18.</p>


BJP national president Amit Shah will join Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the election campaign.

BJP chief Amit Shah will join Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the election campaign to address his first public meeting in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh on Monday. Shah will be in the state for two days. During his trip, the BJP president will address four rallies and hold a number of party meetings, including the state party's core group, a party leader said. The party chief is expected to hold close to 15 rallies during the entire Himachal election campaign. Shah will address a public rally each at Banikhet and Chalwara on Monday, sources added. On Sunday, Adityanath had said that Congress has turned the land of Gods into the land of crime, urging the people of Himachal Pradesh to vote for the BJP to end the mafia rule in the state. Campaigning for BJP candidates at Arki and Haroli, he said only crime and corruption increased under the rule of Congress in Himachal Pradesh. "The Congress has turned the 'dev bhoomi' (land of Gods) into 'apraadh bhoomi' (land of crime). It has sullied the name of the state, which is now known as forest and mining mafia, and illegal activities," he said. The BJP is hopeful of getting a clear majority by defeating the incumbent Congress government in the North Indian state. The elections for the 68-seat Himachal Pradesh Assembly will take place on November 9. The results will be declared on December 18.

Himachal polls: Amit Shah to join Yogi Adityanath in campaign against Congress

<p>Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a jibe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his visit to the famous Taj Mahal, saying it is Lord Rama&rsquo;s &#39;kamaal&#39; (wonder).</p>

<p>Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached Agra amid tight security today and quickly <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-up-cm-adityanath-on-cleanliness-drive-at-taj-complex-22934">kicked off a cleanliness drive</a> at Shahjahan garden in the famous Taj Mahal complex.</p>

<p>&quot;See how time changes&hellip;&nbsp;BJP did not consider it as heritage&hellip;&nbsp;And now the CM is cleaning West Gate of Taj Mahal with a &#39;jhadu&#39; (broom),&quot; Yadav told reporters in Lucknow.</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s good that SP workers from Agra have come here, otherwise they would have used broom at West Gate of Taj. He (CM) is wielding broom there. We have nothing to do with it. It is Lord Rama&#39;s &#39;kamaal&#39;,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>I am waiting for him to get clicked on that seat (in front of Taj Mahal), the former UP chief minister added.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>UP chief minister Adityanath went on a cleanliness drive with a broom in hand inside the Taj Mahal area at Agra. (ANI)</p>
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<p>The Taj Mahal has been in the news &nbsp;after BJP MLA Sangeet Som recently said&nbsp;that the monument was a blot on Indian culture.</p>

<p>Countering Som, Adityanath said&nbsp;it does not matter who or why the Taj was built,&nbsp;the fact is it was built by the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taj-mahal-minarets-not-representative-of-indian-culture-yogi-adityanath-16904">blood and sweat of Indian labourers</a>.</p>

<p>Adityanath&#39;s visit is seen by many as a damage control exercise after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the white marble monument in its list of development projects in the state.</p>

<p>At a rally in Bihar last year, Adityanath had said that the Taj does not represent Indian culture and that visiting foreign dignitaries should be presented with the Gita rather than replicas of Taj Mahal.</p>


Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a jibe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his visit to the famous Taj Mahal, saying it is Lord Rama?s 'kamaal' (wonder).

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday took a jibe at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his visit to the famous Taj Mahal, saying it is Lord Rama’s 'kamaal' (wonder). Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reached Agra amid tight security today and quickly kicked off a cleanliness drive at Shahjahan garden in the famous Taj Mahal complex. "See how time changes… BJP did not consider it as heritage… And now the CM is cleaning West Gate of Taj Mahal with a 'jhadu' (broom)," Yadav told reporters in Lucknow. "It's good that SP workers from Agra have come here, otherwise they would have used broom at West Gate of Taj. He (CM) is wielding broom there. We have nothing to do with it. It is Lord Rama's 'kamaal'," he said. I am waiting for him to get clicked on that seat (in front of Taj Mahal), the former UP chief minister added. UP chief minister Adityanath went on a cleanliness drive with a broom in hand inside the Taj Mahal area at Agra. (ANI) × The Taj Mahal has been in the news after BJP MLA Sangeet Som recently said that the monument was a blot on Indian culture. Countering Som, Adityanath said it does not matter who or why the Taj was built, the fact is it was built by the blood and sweat of Indian labourers. Adityanath's visit is seen by many as a damage control exercise after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the white marble monument in its list of development projects in the state. At a rally in Bihar last year, Adityanath had said that the Taj does not represent Indian culture and that visiting foreign dignitaries should be presented with the Gita rather than replicas of Taj Mahal.

'Lord Rama's kamaal': Akhilesh Yadav's jibe at Yogi Adityanath's Taj Mahal visit

<p>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will visit the Taj Mahal today against the backdrop of various controversial statements made by some BJP leaders and ministers against the 17th-century monument.</p>

<p>Over 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of Adityanath, who arrived here early this morning.</p>

<p>Adityanath will be the first BJP CM of UP to visit the monument of love.</p>

<p>The chief minister, who landed in the city&#39;s Kheria Airport, went to Nangla Paima village and visited the rubber check dam. He also visited Kachhpura village.</p>

<p>A senior police officer told that more than 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of the CM.</p>

<p>The monument is open for tourists and the entry will be allowed as per the routine process. The security has been stepped up, he said.</p>

<p>According to his programme, Adityanath will stay for half an hour at the graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and visit the Shah Jahan park nearby.</p>

<p>The chief minister will inspect various places along the way, inside and outside the monument.</p>

<p>He will also lay the foundation&nbsp;stone for the development of a tourist pathway from the Taj Mahal to the Agra Fort.</p>

<p>He will also run a mega cleanliness campaign along with 500 BJP activists and social workers around the west gate of the Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>The chief minister has already declared that the state government will spend Rs 370 crore on development plans aimed at promoting tourism in the city of Taj.</p>

<p>Along with the visit to the Taj Mahal, Adityanath will inaugurate various development projects in Agra, according to an official spokesman.</p>

<p>&quot;During his tour of Agra.., the chief minister will be visiting all the places inside Taj Mahal,&quot; principal secretary, tourism, Awanish Awasthi said yesterday.</p>

<p>His decision to visit the Taj Mahal was announced after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the monument in its list of development projects in the state.</p>

<p>Subsequently, BJP MLA Sangeet Som called Taj Mahal a &quot;blot on Indian history&quot; and BJP MP Vinay Katiyar said it was originally a Shiva temple.</p>

<p>However, addressing a rally in Gorakhpur recently, Adityanath called Taj Mahal the &quot;pride of India&quot; and referred to it as a &quot;world class monument&quot;.</p>

<p>This was a significant departure from his remarks at a rally in Bihar last year when he had said that the Taj does not represent Indian culture and that visiting foreign dignitaries should be presented with the Gita rather than replicas of Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>The last time a UP CM visited the Taj was Akhilesh Yadav, more than two years back.</p>

<p>That was the Valentine&#39;s Day and Akhilesh sat on one of the benches in front of the monument along with his wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav.&nbsp;</p>


Adityanath will be the first BJP CM of UP to visit the monument of love.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will visit the Taj Mahal today against the backdrop of various controversial statements made by some BJP leaders and ministers against the 17th-century monument. Over 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of Adityanath, who arrived here early this morning. Adityanath will be the first BJP CM of UP to visit the monument of love. The chief minister, who landed in the city's Kheria Airport, went to Nangla Paima village and visited the rubber check dam. He also visited Kachhpura village. A senior police officer told that more than 14,000 policemen have been deployed across the city for the security of the CM. The monument is open for tourists and the entry will be allowed as per the routine process. The security has been stepped up, he said. According to his programme, Adityanath will stay for half an hour at the graves of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and visit the Shah Jahan park nearby. The chief minister will inspect various places along the way, inside and outside the monument. He will also lay the foundation stone for the development of a tourist pathway from the Taj Mahal to the Agra Fort. He will also run a mega cleanliness campaign along with 500 BJP activists and social workers around the west gate of the Taj Mahal. The chief minister has already declared that the state government will spend Rs 370 crore on development plans aimed at promoting tourism in the city of Taj. Along with the visit to the Taj Mahal, Adityanath will inaugurate various development projects in Agra, according to an official spokesman. "During his tour of Agra.., the chief minister will be visiting all the places inside Taj Mahal," principal secretary, tourism, Awanish Awasthi said yesterday. His decision to visit the Taj Mahal was announced after a series of controversies erupted, beginning with a UP tourism department booklet not mentioning the monument in its list of development projects in the state. Subsequently, BJP MLA Sangeet Som called Taj Mahal a "blot on Indian history" and BJP MP Vinay Katiyar said it was originally a Shiva temple. However, addressing a rally in Gorakhpur recently, Adityanath called Taj Mahal the "pride of India" and referred to it as a "world class monument". This was a significant departure from his remarks at a rally in Bihar last year when he had said that the Taj does not represent Indian culture and that visiting foreign dignitaries should be presented with the Gita rather than replicas of Taj Mahal. The last time a UP CM visited the Taj was Akhilesh Yadav, more than two years back. That was the Valentine's Day and Akhilesh sat on one of the benches in front of the monument along with his wife and Kannauj MP Dimple Yadav.

Amid raging controversy Adityanath visits Taj Mahal

<p>The upcoming municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh will be a key test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as they would indicate whether he is able to ensure that the BJP continues to maintain its popularity level in the state.</p>

<p>Earlier this year, the party had secured a three-fourths majority in the state assembly paving way for 45-year-old saffron-clad Adityanath to become the chief minister.</p>

<p>The civic polls, to be held in November-December, is being seen as a major challenge for Adityanath as the outcome would reveal the mood of the voters ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, political observers say.</p>

<p>The notification for the local body polls is likely to be issued by the end of this month.</p>

<p>&quot;Voting for local bodies is based on local issues. In the civic polls people cast ballots. The masses will get a chance to register their disapproval of the anti-people BJP government,&quot; Samajwadi Party MLC Rajpal Kashyap said, adding the urban local polls would be the first direct elections with Adityanath at the helm.</p>

<p>The BJP&#39;s victory in these polls would be seen as a stamp of approval for the Adityanath government.</p>

<p>&quot;The results will also present an opportunity to the party for course correction in their policies and governance,&quot; political observer and academic Manjula Upadhyay said.</p>

<p>The urban polls were earlier scheduled for June-July, but were postponed as the electoral rolls and some other processes could not be completed within the stipulated time.</p>

<p>The Aam Aadmi Party is gearing up to contest these polls.</p>

<p>&quot;We will contest from wherever we feel we have a strong organisational base,&quot; AAP leader Sanjay Singh said. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had not contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and instead diverted all its resources to focus on Punjab.</p>

<p>The SP and the Congress, which forged an alliance in run up to the 2017 UP state polls, have decided to contest these elections separately.</p>

<p>SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has said his party will have no alliance in the elections to urban local bodies and would contest them on its &#39;bicycle&#39; symbol.</p>

<p>SP spokesperson and MLC Sunil Singh Sajan said, &quot;The pre-poll electoral tie-up was for 2017 Assembly elections. This does not mean that it will continue for the urban local bodies&#39; elections or 2019 Lok Sabha polls.&quot;</p>

<p>As for Congress, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had recently said his party would go alone in the urban local polls. The Bahujan Samaj Party is also fighting the polls sans an alliance.</p>

<p>In the event of a split in non-BJP votes, the saffron party will have an edge.</p>

<p>Expecting that a split in opposition votes would help the BJP&#39;s prospects, its spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi exuded confidence that the party would register an impressive win.</p>

<p>&quot;The BJP has started Vikas Parv, which will disseminate information pertaining to various developmental schemes and projects of the Centre in the last three-and-a-half years,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;It will also spread information about the developmental works undertaken and achieved in the six-months of the Adityanath government in the state,&quot; Tripathi said.</p>

<p>The AAP has already released its first list of 19 candidates for the Lucknow Municipal Corporation election. According to a release issued by the party, Priyanka Maheshwari is its nominee for the post of Lucknow mayor.</p>

<p>Although, the BJP has traditionally been strong in the urban constituencies, the acid test for Adityanath would be to match the performance exhibited during the Assembly elections.</p>

<p>Around 30 million voters would be eligible to exercise their franchise in these polls to be held for over 650 posts, including 438 municipal boards, 202 town areas and 16 corporations, also comprising two newly constituted Ayodhya Nagar Nigam and Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam.</p>

<p>In 2012, the BJP had swept these polls, winning 10 of the 12 mayoral posts. Lucknow mayor Dinesh Sharma is now a deputy chief minister of the state.</p>

<p>In the coming months, the spotlight will also be on the Gorakhpur and the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls with the recent Amethi visits of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah and the SP national convention in Agra setting the stage for a high-octane contest.</p>

<p>Though no date has been announced by the Election Commission, the two Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls in the near future as Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated them after becoming MLCs.</p>

<p>&quot;Undoubtedly, the BJP will not only emerge victorious in both the by-polls, it will also improve its victory margin,&quot; UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said.</p>

<p>The Samajwadi Party has also claimed that it is ready to contest the bypolls.</p>

<p>Akhilesh Yadav told the party&#39;s Agra convention earlier this month that the two key by-elections would give his party a chance to gauge which way the wind was blowing, months after it was routed in the Assembly polls.</p>

<p>Akhilesh&nbsp;had said if results of the elections were in &quot;our favour, it will give a message not only for the 2019 (Lok Sabha polls), but also for the 2022 (assembly polls)&quot;.</p>

<p>There has been no word from the BSP yet on whether the party will throw its hat in the ring.</p>

<p>Usually, the Mayawati-led party stays away from by-polls, but with the scenario different this time, nothing could be said right now, party insiders said.</p>


The upcoming municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh will be a key test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as they would indicate whether he is able to ensure that the BJP continues to maintain its popularity level in the state.

The upcoming municipal polls in Uttar Pradesh will be a key test for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as they would indicate whether he is able to ensure that the BJP continues to maintain its popularity level in the state. Earlier this year, the party had secured a three-fourths majority in the state assembly paving way for 45-year-old saffron-clad Adityanath to become the chief minister. The civic polls, to be held in November-December, is being seen as a major challenge for Adityanath as the outcome would reveal the mood of the voters ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, political observers say. The notification for the local body polls is likely to be issued by the end of this month. "Voting for local bodies is based on local issues. In the civic polls people cast ballots. The masses will get a chance to register their disapproval of the anti-people BJP government," Samajwadi Party MLC Rajpal Kashyap said, adding the urban local polls would be the first direct elections with Adityanath at the helm. The BJP's victory in these polls would be seen as a stamp of approval for the Adityanath government. "The results will also present an opportunity to the party for course correction in their policies and governance," political observer and academic Manjula Upadhyay said. The urban polls were earlier scheduled for June-July, but were postponed as the electoral rolls and some other processes could not be completed within the stipulated time. The Aam Aadmi Party is gearing up to contest these polls. "We will contest from wherever we feel we have a strong organisational base," AAP leader Sanjay Singh said. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had not contested the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and instead diverted all its resources to focus on Punjab. The SP and the Congress, which forged an alliance in run up to the 2017 UP state polls, have decided to contest these elections separately. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav has said his party will have no alliance in the elections to urban local bodies and would contest them on its 'bicycle' symbol. SP spokesperson and MLC Sunil Singh Sajan said, "The pre-poll electoral tie-up was for 2017 Assembly elections. This does not mean that it will continue for the urban local bodies' elections or 2019 Lok Sabha polls." As for Congress, senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad had recently said his party would go alone in the urban local polls. The Bahujan Samaj Party is also fighting the polls sans an alliance. In the event of a split in non-BJP votes, the saffron party will have an edge. Expecting that a split in opposition votes would help the BJP's prospects, its spokesperson Shalabh Mani Tripathi exuded confidence that the party would register an impressive win. "The BJP has started Vikas Parv, which will disseminate information pertaining to various developmental schemes and projects of the Centre in the last three-and-a-half years," he said. "It will also spread information about the developmental works undertaken and achieved in the six-months of the Adityanath government in the state," Tripathi said. The AAP has already released its first list of 19 candidates for the Lucknow Municipal Corporation election. According to a release issued by the party, Priyanka Maheshwari is its nominee for the post of Lucknow mayor. Although, the BJP has traditionally been strong in the urban constituencies, the acid test for Adityanath would be to match the performance exhibited during the Assembly elections. Around 30 million voters would be eligible to exercise their franchise in these polls to be held for over 650 posts, including 438 municipal boards, 202 town areas and 16 corporations, also comprising two newly constituted Ayodhya Nagar Nigam and Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam. In 2012, the BJP had swept these polls, winning 10 of the 12 mayoral posts. Lucknow mayor Dinesh Sharma is now a deputy chief minister of the state. In the coming months, the spotlight will also be on the Gorakhpur and the Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls with the recent Amethi visits of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and BJP chief Amit Shah and the SP national convention in Agra setting the stage for a high-octane contest. Though no date has been announced by the Election Commission, the two Lok Sabha constituencies will go to polls in the near future as Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya vacated them after becoming MLCs. "Undoubtedly, the BJP will not only emerge victorious in both the by-polls, it will also improve its victory margin," UP BJP spokesperson Manish Shukla said. The Samajwadi Party has also claimed that it is ready to contest the bypolls. Akhilesh Yadav told the party's Agra convention earlier this month that the two key by-elections would give his party a chance to gauge which way the wind was blowing, months after it was routed in the Assembly polls. Akhilesh had said if results of the elections were in "our favour, it will give a message not only for the 2019 (Lok Sabha polls), but also for the 2022 (assembly polls)". There has been no word from the BSP yet on whether the party will throw its hat in the ring. Usually, the Mayawati-led party stays away from by-polls, but with the scenario different this time, nothing could be said right now, party insiders said.

Yogi Adityanath faces tough civic polls test in UP

<p>The Maharashtra government will roll out the first set of its&nbsp;farm loan&nbsp;waiving scheme&nbsp;on October 18.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The state government will&nbsp;provide&nbsp;loan waiver amount&nbsp;to the first one million farmers.</p>

<p>Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis&nbsp;announced that about 80 per cent of the farmers will receive their loans by 15 November.</p>

<p>Fadnavis had announced a farm loan waiver on 24 June after several days of protest by farmers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The pressure was intensified after the Yogi Adityanath government announced Krishi Rin Mochan Yojana which aimed at waiving off the farmer&#39;s loan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Maharashtra state government had previously allocated Rs 34,022 crore for waiving off farmers loan. However recent reports say that the chief minister was not sure about the real estimates as several amendments were introduced after the announcement of the scheme.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Over 10 million farmers in Maharashtra have enrolled themselves for this scheme.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The state government has also introduced an online system to curb manual manipulations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The amount of the loan waiver will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of the farmers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Recently the farmers of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/up-farmer-gets-loan-waiver-of-1-paisa-had-borrowed-rs-155000-20377" target="_blank">Uttar Pradesh were in a state of shock and felt cheated after they received as low as Rs 10, Rs 1 and even 1 paisa as part of the Krishi Rin Mochan Yojana</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read :<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maharashtra-farmer-protest-turns-violent-first-strike-since-1933-16341" target="_blank">&nbsp;Maharashtra: Farmer protest turns violent, </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maharashtra-farmer-protest-turns-violent-first-strike-since-1933-16341" target="_blank">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maharashtra-farmer-protest-turns-violent-first-strike-since-1933-16341" target="_blank"> strike since 1933</a></p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/maharashtra-announces-loan-waiver-for-farmers-but-conditions-apply-16697" target="_blank">Maharashtra announces loan waiver for farmers, but conditions apply</a></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis?announced that about 80 per cent of the farmers will receive their loans by 15 November

The Maharashtra government will roll out the first set of its farm loan waiving scheme on October 18. The state government will provide loan waiver amount to the first one million farmers. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that about 80 per cent of the farmers will receive their loans by 15 November. Fadnavis had announced a farm loan waiver on 24 June after several days of protest by farmers. The pressure was intensified after the Yogi Adityanath government announced Krishi Rin Mochan Yojana which aimed at waiving off the farmer's loan. The Maharashtra state government had previously allocated Rs 34,022 crore for waiving off farmers loan. However recent reports say that the chief minister was not sure about the real estimates as several amendments were introduced after the announcement of the scheme. Over 10 million farmers in Maharashtra have enrolled themselves for this scheme. The state government has also introduced an online system to curb manual manipulations. The amount of the loan waiver will be deposited directly into the bank accounts of the farmers. Recently the farmers of Uttar Pradesh were in a state of shock and felt cheated after they received as low as Rs 10, Rs 1 and even 1 paisa as part of the Krishi Rin Mochan Yojana. Also read : Maharashtra: Farmer protest turns violent, first strike since 1933 Also read: Maharashtra announces loan waiver for farmers, but conditions apply

Maharashtra government rolls out farm loan waiver scheme today

<p lang="EN-US">Chetan Bhagat and immaculate English don&rsquo;t usually go in the same sentence, but a grammatical error made by the&nbsp;popular pulp fiction writer had the&nbsp;Twitterati&nbsp;trolling him. Bhagat had tweeted out a comment on&nbsp;Washington Post&#39;s article on the iconic Taj Mahal being not included in the Uttar Pradesh Tourism booklet.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US">Bhagat posted a poll with a tweet which basically posed the question if Indians saw Taj Mahal as a&nbsp;Muslim monument: &quot;Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a &#39;Muslim&#39; monument (as @washingtonpost&nbsp;is saying it&#39;s being neglected because it is Muslim).&quot; Last checked, 84 per cent of those responding said they saw Taj as an Indian monument, while another 16 per cent felt it was a Muslim one.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a &#39;Muslim&#39; monument (as <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@washingtonpost is saying it&#39;s being neglected because it is Muslim)</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">&mdash; Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) </a><a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/915429847408590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/915429847408590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">&nbsp; <script?async?src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>&nbsp;</a></div>
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<p>However, some tweeters decided to latch on to the&nbsp;&#39;grammatically&nbsp;incorrect English&#39; in the&nbsp;Tweet by Bhagat who has often defended his English&nbsp;as simple and easy to understand&nbsp;even for those not educated in the language.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As an Indian once wanted to Saw the Taj but they didn&rsquo;t let me enter with a Saw and said u can only see the Taj, not saw it <a href="https://t.co/TkS20ixwaX">https://t.co/TkS20ixwaX</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
<a href="https://t.co/TkS20ixwaX">&mdash; Joy (@Joydas) </a><a href="https://twitter.com/Joydas/status/915534349486796801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/Joydas/status/915534349486796801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">&nbsp; <script?async?src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>&nbsp; </a></div>
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<p>Some even put up mock polls in response to Bhagat&#39;s poll on the&nbsp;Indian-ness&nbsp;of Taj.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">How do you see Chetan Bhagat</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>
&mdash; Pun of God (@Punofgod) <a href="https://twitter.com/Punofgod/status/915514243180527616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/Punofgod/status/915514243180527616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">&nbsp; <script?async?src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>&nbsp;</a></div>
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<p>The former investment banker turned &quot;dramedy&nbsp;writer&quot;, as Wikipedia describes him, has also tried his hand at Bollywood script writing and has written &#39;Kai Poche&#39;&nbsp;and &#39;Two States&#39;, both Hindi films based on his books.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For a guy who claims to be a writer in English, that&#39;s some really bad grammar!</p>
&mdash; ?SoM? (@crazy4fawad) <a href="https://twitter.com/crazy4fawad/status/915460631385559040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Bhagat even&nbsp;apologised&nbsp;for the error which he said was because of the &quot;auto-correct&quot; feature on his phone, but some even suggested he read Wren &amp; Martin, the English&nbsp;grammar book&nbsp;most school-going children in India read.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yes I apologise for the phone autocorrect typo. Though I think everyone did get the point. Oh, btw it is Come On! Not Common! <a href="https://t.co/3aWSIAzMsi">https://t.co/3aWSIAzMsi</a></p>
&mdash; Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) <a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/916212855212408832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a &#39;Muslim&#39; monument (as <a href="https://twitter.com/washingtonpost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@washingtonpost</a> is saying it&#39;s being neglected because it is Muslim)</p>
&mdash; Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) <a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/915429847408590848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">so If Trump says or feels something we can say America says or feels the same? <a href="https://t.co/8FHeeKBqWQ">https://t.co/8FHeeKBqWQ</a></p>
&mdash; Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) <a href="https://twitter.com/chetan_bhagat/status/915524686439620608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


Bhagat had tweeted his comment in response to the Washington Post article asking 'Is India neglecting the Taj because it was built by Muslims?'

Chetan Bhagat and immaculate English don’t usually go in the same sentence, but a grammatical error made by the popular pulp fiction writer had the Twitterati trolling him. Bhagat had tweeted out a comment on Washington Post's article on the iconic Taj Mahal being not included in the Uttar Pradesh Tourism booklet. Bhagat posted a poll with a tweet which basically posed the question if Indians saw Taj Mahal as a Muslim monument: "Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a 'Muslim' monument (as @washingtonpost is saying it's being neglected because it is Muslim)." Last checked, 84 per cent of those responding said they saw Taj as an Indian monument, while another 16 per cent felt it was a Muslim one. Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a 'Muslim' monument (as @washingtonpost is saying it's being neglected because it is Muslim) — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 4, 2017 × However, some tweeters decided to latch on to the 'grammatically incorrect English' in the Tweet by Bhagat who has often defended his English as simple and easy to understand even for those not educated in the language. As an Indian once wanted to Saw the Taj but they didn’t let me enter with a Saw and said u can only see the Taj, not saw it https://t.co/TkS20ixwaX — Joy (@Joydas) October 4, 2017 × Some even put up mock polls in response to Bhagat's poll on the Indian-ness of Taj. How do you see Chetan Bhagat — Pun of God (@Punofgod) October 4, 2017 × The former investment banker turned "dramedy writer", as Wikipedia describes him, has also tried his hand at Bollywood script writing and has written 'Kai Poche' and 'Two States', both Hindi films based on his books. For a guy who claims to be a writer in English, that's some really bad grammar! — ?SoM? (@crazy4fawad) October 4, 2017 × Bhagat even apologised for the error which he said was because of the "auto-correct" feature on his phone, but some even suggested he read Wren & Martin, the English grammar book most school-going children in India read. Yes I apologise for the phone autocorrect typo. Though I think everyone did get the point. Oh, btw it is Come On! Not Common! https://t.co/3aWSIAzMsi — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 6, 2017 × Did you ever, as an Indian, saw the Taj as a 'Muslim' monument (as @washingtonpost is saying it's being neglected because it is Muslim) — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 4, 2017 × so If Trump says or feels something we can say America says or feels the same? https://t.co/8FHeeKBqWQ — Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat) October 4, 2017 ×

Chetan Bhagat tweets 'did you saw the Taj...', Twitter replies 'really bad grammar'

<p>An aggressive campaign by BJP in Kerala against the killing of its workers is not an exercise in isolation. It is a campaign for 2019 which BJP is taking through states in which it had no historic presence. In every state, slogans have differed but the aim has been the same and that being expansion of the organisational structure of the party. The political aggression is high but it isn&rsquo;t new as the exercise started immediately after Lok Sabha elections in 2014.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
BJP after its massive win in general elections started to disrupt existing political equations in the states. Instead of having an alliance with a local party in Haryana, BJP chose to go alone and formed the government. This story was repeated in states, such as Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal. In states like Assam, BJP tasted success and in West Bengal, it was able to expand it voters base but electorally it got trounced.</p>

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<h5>How BJP expects to gain where more than 50 percent of the population is Christian and Muslim.</h5>
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<p>In both situations, BJP did get away by gaining something. Similarly, BJP wants to push the final frontier in Kerala as it did in JK and Assam, the two states where it was thought impossible for BJP to gain a foothold. BJP broke regional leaders and tapped into anxieties which cut across caste in the states. The exception being Kashmir valley where BJP despite its best effort could not open an account but instead swept Jammu.</p>

<p>The question then arises is how BJP expects to gain where more than 50 percent of the population is Christian and Muslim. BJP has been able to evolve a working relationship with the church in Goa but it still has a substantial Hindu population to bank upon. Kerala is a laboratory and a test case for BJP. In Kerala, not only BJP will have to reset and alignment between Congress and CPM, but will have to push the communist party to the margin. In this case, it is directly competing with CPM for the affections of the Ezheva community.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The killings are not new. Kannur has been known as the killing field of Kerala. The activism for it at the national level is new. BJP has decided to lend national heft for regional gains. This has happened because BJP feels that Hindutva blended with OBC and Dalit politics will yield electoral results in the state.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
It can also be explained in the context of &lsquo;Sanskritisation&rsquo; which OBCs have undergone throughout India and have come to represent the core Hindutva politics in the North and the West. Most of these communities in 1960, 70s and 80s consolidated under socialist parties under the banner of &lsquo;Kisan&rsquo; politics, directly pitching itself against the Congress Party.</p>

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<h5>Even if campaigns in West Bengal or Kerala don&rsquo;t yield electoral numbers, BJP, at least, gets to dominate the political discourse and expand the party.</h5>
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<p>&nbsp;<br />
By end of the 1990s, the consolidated socialist front, however,&nbsp;fragmented into caste-based parties throughout India. BJP today dominates this political landscape. This development coupled with the fragmentation of Dalit votes has benefitted BJP immensely. Even in Kerala, under the rubric of Hindutva, BJP is actively pursuing backward and Dalit sections despite the antagonistic relationship it shared with these communities both at the social level and cultural level.</p>

<p>It is for this reason, Yogi Adityanath was the first person from north India to grace the yatra started by BJP President Amit Shah.</p>

<p>Similar, disruptions will continue in other states as well. BJP has already occupied the Opposition&rsquo;s space in Orissa. In Telangana, it doesn&rsquo;t want to move fast lest TRS allies with the Opposition. It is for this reason that despite political upheaval in Tamil Nadu, BJP is trying its best to stabilise the government.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The North Indian states are already saturated. BJP intends to come to power by using the states which rejected them during 2014. It is for this very reason states like West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have become very important. BJP knows that in 2019 the road to Delhi will need to be paved in from South and East India and not North.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
For the Opposition, the job has become tougher. BJP has the movers advantage. They never expected BJP to continue into the election mode even after the Lok Sabha elections. BJP is making every election count. It tasted royal defeats in Bihar and Delhi. It realises that it takes very little to diffuse political momentum in a country like India. So even if campaigns in West Bengal or Kerala don&rsquo;t yield electoral numbers, BJP, at least, gets to dominate the political discourse and expand the party.</p>

<p>This is what BJP intends to do in Kerala. It is making every state election count to become the dominant party in the country, replacing Congress as the biggest and largest party with completely different ideological underpinning.</p>


BJP intends to come back to power in 2019 by using the states, such as Kerala which rejected them during 2014.

An aggressive campaign by BJP in Kerala against the killing of its workers is not an exercise in isolation. It is a campaign for 2019 which BJP is taking through states in which it had no historic presence. In every state, slogans have differed but the aim has been the same and that being expansion of the organisational structure of the party. The political aggression is high but it isn’t new as the exercise started immediately after Lok Sabha elections in 2014. BJP after its massive win in general elections started to disrupt existing political equations in the states. Instead of having an alliance with a local party in Haryana, BJP chose to go alone and formed the government. This story was repeated in states, such as Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal. In states like Assam, BJP tasted success and in West Bengal, it was able to expand it voters base but electorally it got trounced. How BJP expects to gain where more than 50 percent of the population is Christian and Muslim. × In both situations, BJP did get away by gaining something. Similarly, BJP wants to push the final frontier in Kerala as it did in JK and Assam, the two states where it was thought impossible for BJP to gain a foothold. BJP broke regional leaders and tapped into anxieties which cut across caste in the states. The exception being Kashmir valley where BJP despite its best effort could not open an account but instead swept Jammu. The question then arises is how BJP expects to gain where more than 50 percent of the population is Christian and Muslim. BJP has been able to evolve a working relationship with the church in Goa but it still has a substantial Hindu population to bank upon. Kerala is a laboratory and a test case for BJP. In Kerala, not only BJP will have to reset and alignment between Congress and CPM, but will have to push the communist party to the margin. In this case, it is directly competing with CPM for the affections of the Ezheva community. The killings are not new. Kannur has been known as the killing field of Kerala. The activism for it at the national level is new. BJP has decided to lend national heft for regional gains. This has happened because BJP feels that Hindutva blended with OBC and Dalit politics will yield electoral results in the state. It can also be explained in the context of ‘Sanskritisation’ which OBCs have undergone throughout India and have come to represent the core Hindutva politics in the North and the West. Most of these communities in 1960, 70s and 80s consolidated under socialist parties under the banner of ‘Kisan’ politics, directly pitching itself against the Congress Party. Even if campaigns in West Bengal or Kerala don’t yield electoral numbers, BJP, at least, gets to dominate the political discourse and expand the party. × By end of the 1990s, the consolidated socialist front, however, fragmented into caste-based parties throughout India. BJP today dominates this political landscape. This development coupled with the fragmentation of Dalit votes has benefitted BJP immensely. Even in Kerala, under the rubric of Hindutva, BJP is actively pursuing backward and Dalit sections despite the antagonistic relationship it shared with these communities both at the social level and cultural level. It is for this reason, Yogi Adityanath was the first person from north India to grace the yatra started by BJP President Amit Shah. Similar, disruptions will continue in other states as well. BJP has already occupied the Opposition’s space in Orissa. In Telangana, it doesn’t want to move fast lest TRS allies with the Opposition. It is for this reason that despite political upheaval in Tamil Nadu, BJP is trying its best to stabilise the government. The North Indian states are already saturated. BJP intends to come to power by using the states which rejected them during 2014. It is for this very reason states like West Bengal, Orissa, Assam, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have become very important. BJP knows that in 2019 the road to Delhi will need to be paved in from South and East India and not North. For the Opposition, the job has become tougher. BJP has the movers advantage. They never expected BJP to continue into the election mode even after the Lok Sabha elections. BJP is making every election count. It tasted royal defeats in Bihar and Delhi. It realises that it takes very little to diffuse political momentum in a country like India. So even if campaigns in West Bengal or Kerala don’t yield electoral numbers, BJP, at least, gets to dominate the political discourse and expand the party. This is what BJP intends to do in Kerala. It is making every state election count to become the dominant party in the country, replacing Congress as the biggest and largest party with completely different ideological underpinning.

Kerala violence is the pretext; 2019 election is BJP's  goal

<p>&quot;The entire cycle of violence has been generated by the RSS,&quot; CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Wednesday in response to BJP President Amit Shah&#39;s Jan Raksha Yatra through Kerala.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black,&quot; Yechury added.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The entire cycle of violence has been generated by the RSS: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) <a href="https://t.co/kN22wiZWC7">pic.twitter.com/kN22wiZWC7</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/915537220362149888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black: CPM&#39;s Sitaram Yechury on BJP&#39;s Jan Raksha Yatra <a href="https://t.co/WACHQqTC6O">pic.twitter.com/WACHQqTC6O</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/915538210171772928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Jan Raksha Yatra is a 15-day march through Kerala.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The yatra began on Tuesday at Payyanur -- chief minister Pinari Vijayan&#39;s hometown -- and will travel through Kerala before&nbsp;ending in Thiruvananthapuram on October 17.</p>

<p>The theme of the march is &quot;All have to live! Against Jihadi-Red Terror&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The march is meant to protest against the ruling CPM&#39;s alleged use of violence against BJP workers in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The CPM and the BJP have waged a long battle in Kerala, with both sides losing a number of party workers to violence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The yatra was on Wednesday joined by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-uttar-pradesh-cm-adityanath-joins-amit-shah-in-kerala-yatra-20982" target="_blank">WATCH: CM Adityanath hits out at Kerala govt over &#39;political killings&#39; during Amit Shah&#39;s yatra</a></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


BJP President Amit Shah's 15-day Jan Raksha Yatra is meant to protest against the ruling CPM's alleged use of violence against BJP workers in the state

"The entire cycle of violence has been generated by the RSS," CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Wednesday in response to BJP President Amit Shah's Jan Raksha Yatra through Kerala. "It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black," Yechury added. The entire cycle of violence has been generated by the RSS: Sitaram Yechury, CPI(M) pic.twitter.com/kN22wiZWC7 — ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2017 × It is a case of the pot calling the kettle black: CPM's Sitaram Yechury on BJP's Jan Raksha Yatra pic.twitter.com/WACHQqTC6O — ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2017 × The Jan Raksha Yatra is a 15-day march through Kerala. The yatra began on Tuesday at Payyanur -- chief minister Pinari Vijayan's hometown -- and will travel through Kerala before ending in Thiruvananthapuram on October 17. The theme of the march is "All have to live! Against Jihadi-Red Terror". The march is meant to protest against the ruling CPM's alleged use of violence against BJP workers in the state. The CPM and the BJP have waged a long battle in Kerala, with both sides losing a number of party workers to violence. The yatra was on Wednesday joined by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. WATCH: CM Adityanath hits out at Kerala govt over 'political killings' during Amit Shah's yatra

Kerala: As Amit Shah marches, Yechury blames 'entire cycle of violence' on RSS

<p>Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday criticised his son Akhilesh Yadav, also taking took potshots at the ruling Uttar Pradesh and central government on issues such as petrol prices, BHU molestation case and farmer loan waivers.</p>

<p>He&nbsp;expressed disapproval of the decisions taken by his son and current Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh.</p>

<p>Asked about Akhilesh&rsquo;s comment that he has the blessings of his father, Mulayam said, &ldquo;Yes as my son he has my blessings, but I do not agree with the decisions taken by him. What are those decisions is something I will talk about in the coming days.&quot;</p>

<p>Mulayam Singh also urged the opposition to unite against the BJP.</p>

<p>He criticised the chief minister Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh saying, &ldquo;All the promises made by Yogi government on the power situation have failed.&quot;</p>

<p>Ahead of the conference, there were speculations that Mulayam will announce his own party. However, he clearly refused any such claims and declared that he will not be forming his own party anytime&nbsp;soon but will make other important announcements in the near future.</p>

<p>&quot;The situation of farmers has only gotten worse. Farmers have been sufferers under the Yogi government in the state as well as the Modi government at the Centre,&rdquo; Mulayam Singh said.</p>

<p>He also mentioned that crime rates have risen and girls are not safe in Banaras Hindu University.</p>

<p>He also appealed to the government to list petrol under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to reduce the fuel prices in the country.</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Samajwadi Party patriarch also urged the opposition to unite against the BJP

Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday criticised his son Akhilesh Yadav, also taking took potshots at the ruling Uttar Pradesh and central government on issues such as petrol prices, BHU molestation case and farmer loan waivers. He expressed disapproval of the decisions taken by his son and current Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh. Asked about Akhilesh’s comment that he has the blessings of his father, Mulayam said, “Yes as my son he has my blessings, but I do not agree with the decisions taken by him. What are those decisions is something I will talk about in the coming days." Mulayam Singh also urged the opposition to unite against the BJP. He criticised the chief minister Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh saying, “All the promises made by Yogi government on the power situation have failed." Ahead of the conference, there were speculations that Mulayam will announce his own party. However, he clearly refused any such claims and declared that he will not be forming his own party anytime soon but will make other important announcements in the near future. "The situation of farmers has only gotten worse. Farmers have been sufferers under the Yogi government in the state as well as the Modi government at the Centre,” Mulayam Singh said. He also mentioned that crime rates have risen and girls are not safe in Banaras Hindu University. He also appealed to the government to list petrol under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to reduce the fuel prices in the country.

SP leader Mulayam Singh denies plans of forming own party

<p>Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister on Tuesday made the controversial statement that Mughals were &quot;plunderers&quot;&nbsp;and not &quot;our ancestors&quot;&nbsp;as depicted in Indian history. He said that &quot;history would be rewritten&quot; and the Uttar Pradesh government was in the process of modifying Mughal history syllabus in schools.</p>

<p>&quot;Mughals were not our ancestors, they were actually plunderers. They looted the country. This is not our history,&quot; the Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister said at an award show of a media outlet.</p>

<p>The deputy chief minister, who holds the secondary and higher education portfolios, said the &quot;cruelty of Akbar would not be a part of Indian History&quot; and that his &ldquo;good side with Birbal&rdquo; would&nbsp;be included in the syllabus.</p>

<p>He also said that while the Mughal rulers Babur and Aurangzeb harassed people and committed atrocities, their Hindu counterpart Bahadur Shah Zafar was a patriot who started the fight for independence. He also called Shah Jahan &quot;barbaric&quot; for amputating the hands of the artisans who constructing the Taj Mahal.</p>

<p>&quot;The Taj Mahal is an outstanding monument depicting Indian craftsmanship but Shahjahan amputated the hands of artisans who made the Taj. This is not Indian culture and shows he was barbaric. He created a feeling of panic among artisans and engineers who could not gather the courage to build more such monuments.&quot;<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Till now Europeans, Turks, Moghuls, French, Chinese and Communists have written Indian history but now the things have changed. A panel of historians will be formed to rewrite history as most of the Indian greats have been shown in a poor light in the past,&quot; Dinesh Sharma said.</p>

<p>He added that every religion would be given equal respect in Uttar Pradesh and that the &quot;Pakistani-Talibani culture&quot; would not be accepted.</p>

<p>The deputy chief minister&#39;s remarks come about three months after his boss, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that Taj Mahal and other minarets -- monuments made during the medieval and Mughal era -- were not reflective of Indian culture.</p>

<p>The firebrand Uttar Pradesh chief minister had said that foreign dignitaries were now being gifted copies of the Bhagvad Gita and the Ramayana on their visit to India instead of the earlier practice of gifting them a replica of the Taj Mahal &quot;which did not reflect Indian culture&quot;.</p>

<p>Yogi Adityanath had made the remarks at a rally in Bihar&#39;s Darbhanga on June 15.</p>


Dinesh Sharma said that 'history would be rewritten' and the Uttar Pradesh government was in the process of modifying Mughal history syllabus in schools

Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister on Tuesday made the controversial statement that Mughals were "plunderers" and not "our ancestors" as depicted in Indian history. He said that "history would be rewritten" and the Uttar Pradesh government was in the process of modifying Mughal history syllabus in schools. "Mughals were not our ancestors, they were actually plunderers. They looted the country. This is not our history," the Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister said at an award show of a media outlet. The deputy chief minister, who holds the secondary and higher education portfolios, said the "cruelty of Akbar would not be a part of Indian History" and that his “good side with Birbal” would be included in the syllabus. He also said that while the Mughal rulers Babur and Aurangzeb harassed people and committed atrocities, their Hindu counterpart Bahadur Shah Zafar was a patriot who started the fight for independence. He also called Shah Jahan "barbaric" for amputating the hands of the artisans who constructing the Taj Mahal. "The Taj Mahal is an outstanding monument depicting Indian craftsmanship but Shahjahan amputated the hands of artisans who made the Taj. This is not Indian culture and shows he was barbaric. He created a feeling of panic among artisans and engineers who could not gather the courage to build more such monuments." "Till now Europeans, Turks, Moghuls, French, Chinese and Communists have written Indian history but now the things have changed. A panel of historians will be formed to rewrite history as most of the Indian greats have been shown in a poor light in the past," Dinesh Sharma said. He added that every religion would be given equal respect in Uttar Pradesh and that the "Pakistani-Talibani culture" would not be accepted. The deputy chief minister's remarks come about three months after his boss, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said that Taj Mahal and other minarets -- monuments made during the medieval and Mughal era -- were not reflective of Indian culture. The firebrand Uttar Pradesh chief minister had said that foreign dignitaries were now being gifted copies of the Bhagvad Gita and the Ramayana on their visit to India instead of the earlier practice of gifting them a replica of the Taj Mahal "which did not reflect Indian culture". Yogi Adityanath had made the remarks at a rally in Bihar's Darbhanga on June 15.

Mughal rulers were plunderers, history will be re-written, says Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister

<p>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his two deputies, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, will contest the upcoming state Legislative Council bypolls, the BJP announced today.</p>

<p>Adityanath, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma and&nbsp; two ministers - Swatantra Dev Singh and Mohsin Raza are&nbsp;likely to file their nominations close to the last date, BJP sources said.</p>

<p>The Uttar Pradesh chief minister and his ministers need to get elected to either one of the Houses - the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council -&nbsp;within six months of assuming office to continue in their posts. Their&nbsp;six month deadline expires on September 19.</p>

<p>The victory of all five BJP nominees is&nbsp;a foregone conclusion given the party&#39;s overwhelming majority in the 403-member assembly.</p>

<p>SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the fact that the&nbsp;BJP&nbsp;leaders chose take the Council route and were not contesting&nbsp;direct elections to enter the state legislature showed the party did not have strength.<br />
<br />
He also claimed that the BJP had&nbsp;taken Samajwadi Party Members of Legislative Council (MLCs)&nbsp;in its fold&nbsp;for entering the Upper House.</p>

<p>A number of MLCs from opposition parties in the state, who resigned recently, have given statements in favour of the Adityanath government.</p>

<p>The last date for filing nominations for four seats is September 5. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is September 8.</p>

<p>Adityanath and Maurya are Lok Sabha members and are likely to resign once they win the Council by-polls.</p>

<p>Polling will be held on September 15 and counting of votes will be done the same day.<br />
<br />
The filing of nominations began yesterday.&nbsp;No&nbsp;nomination papers was filed today.<br />
<br />
The Election Commission&nbsp;will issue a notification on August 31 for the bypoll to the fifth seat.<br />
<br />
The four seats for which bypolls will be held on September 15 were vacated by MLCs Bukkal Nawab, Yashwant, Sarojini Agarwal and Ashok Bajpai - all from the SP.<br />
<br />
Another seat fell vacant when Thakur Jaiveer Singh, a former BSP MLC resigned from the party and joined the BJP.<br />
<br />
Once elected to the Upper House, Adityanath will become the third successive chief minister, after Akhilesh Yadav (SP) and Mayawati (BSP), to opt for the Legislative Council.<br />
<br />
Other UP chief ministers who had opted for the Council route were Narain Dutt Tiwari and late Ram Prakash Gupta (BJP).<br />
<br />
Former chief minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh had become a member of UP Legislative Council in November 1980 after assuming the chief minister&#39;s office in June 1980. He later contested a by-election from the Tindwari assembly seat and became a member of UP Legislative Assembly in 1981.&nbsp;</p>


Adityanath and his two deputies - Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma - are likely to file their nomination papers close to the last date, BJP sources said

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his two deputies, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma, will contest the upcoming state Legislative Council bypolls, the BJP announced today. Adityanath, Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma and two ministers - Swatantra Dev Singh and Mohsin Raza are likely to file their nominations close to the last date, BJP sources said. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister and his ministers need to get elected to either one of the Houses - the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council - within six months of assuming office to continue in their posts. Their six month deadline expires on September 19. The victory of all five BJP nominees is a foregone conclusion given the party's overwhelming majority in the 403-member assembly. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said the fact that the BJP leaders chose take the Council route and were not contesting direct elections to enter the state legislature showed the party did not have strength. He also claimed that the BJP had taken Samajwadi Party Members of Legislative Council (MLCs) in its fold for entering the Upper House. A number of MLCs from opposition parties in the state, who resigned recently, have given statements in favour of the Adityanath government. The last date for filing nominations for four seats is September 5. The last date for the withdrawal of candidature is September 8. Adityanath and Maurya are Lok Sabha members and are likely to resign once they win the Council by-polls. Polling will be held on September 15 and counting of votes will be done the same day. The filing of nominations began yesterday. No nomination papers was filed today. The Election Commission will issue a notification on August 31 for the bypoll to the fifth seat. The four seats for which bypolls will be held on September 15 were vacated by MLCs Bukkal Nawab, Yashwant, Sarojini Agarwal and Ashok Bajpai - all from the SP. Another seat fell vacant when Thakur Jaiveer Singh, a former BSP MLC resigned from the party and joined the BJP. Once elected to the Upper House, Adityanath will become the third successive chief minister, after Akhilesh Yadav (SP) and Mayawati (BSP), to opt for the Legislative Council. Other UP chief ministers who had opted for the Council route were Narain Dutt Tiwari and late Ram Prakash Gupta (BJP). Former chief minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh had become a member of UP Legislative Council in November 1980 after assuming the chief minister's office in June 1980. He later contested a by-election from the Tindwari assembly seat and became a member of UP Legislative Assembly in 1981.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath to contest legislative council by-polls

<p>Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his planned visit here saying the &quot;yuvraj (prince) sitting in Delhi&quot; cannot be permitted to make Gorakhpur &quot;a picnic spot&quot;.</p>

<p>The chief minister, who inaugurated a cleanliness campaign in the district to tackle the deadly encephalitis outbreak in the wake of death of 71 children at the BRD hospital here, also targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.</p>

<p>&quot;I feel that the shehzada sitting in Lucknow ..Yuvraj sitting in Delhi will not know the importance of this cleanliness campaign. They will come here to make it a picnic spot, we cannot permit it,&quot; he said, attacking Gandhi who is scheduled to meet the families of the victims and visit the BRD hospital today.</p>

<p>&quot;If someone gives an open challenge to the self respect of the people of Gorakhpur and eastern UP ...They will themselves come forward to fight such dreaded diseases through their awareness,&quot; Adityanath stressed launching the &#39;Swachch Uttar Pradesh - Swasthya Uttar Pradesh campaign&#39; here .</p>

<p>Voicing hope that the campaign will be successful in checking encephalitis, he accused the previous governments of depriving the people of the state of basic facilities for their vested interests.</p>

<p>Stressing that more than treatment of encephalitis, checking its spread was important for which cleanliness and potable water were necessary, the chief minister said his government was working in this regard.</p>

<p>The chief minister, who has represented Gorakhpur in the Lok Sabha five times, will also tour encephalitis and flood-affected areas.</p>

<p>The Congress has targeted the Aditynath Government over the deaths following allegations that the children who were critically ill succumbed due to oxygen shortage.</p>


The chief minister was inaugurating a cleanliness campaign in Gorakhpur to tackle the encephalitis outbreak

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his planned visit here saying the "yuvraj (prince) sitting in Delhi" cannot be permitted to make Gorakhpur "a picnic spot". The chief minister, who inaugurated a cleanliness campaign in the district to tackle the deadly encephalitis outbreak in the wake of death of 71 children at the BRD hospital here, also targeted Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. "I feel that the shehzada sitting in Lucknow ..Yuvraj sitting in Delhi will not know the importance of this cleanliness campaign. They will come here to make it a picnic spot, we cannot permit it," he said, attacking Gandhi who is scheduled to meet the families of the victims and visit the BRD hospital today. "If someone gives an open challenge to the self respect of the people of Gorakhpur and eastern UP ...They will themselves come forward to fight such dreaded diseases through their awareness," Adityanath stressed launching the 'Swachch Uttar Pradesh - Swasthya Uttar Pradesh campaign' here . Voicing hope that the campaign will be successful in checking encephalitis, he accused the previous governments of depriving the people of the state of basic facilities for their vested interests. Stressing that more than treatment of encephalitis, checking its spread was important for which cleanliness and potable water were necessary, the chief minister said his government was working in this regard. The chief minister, who has represented Gorakhpur in the Lok Sabha five times, will also tour encephalitis and flood-affected areas. The Congress has targeted the Aditynath Government over the deaths following allegations that the children who were critically ill succumbed due to oxygen shortage.

'Gorakhpur not a picnic spot': Yogi Adityanath to Rahul Gandhi

<p>A central government team has said the deaths at Gorakhpur&#39;s Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital were not caused by a shortage of oxygen supply.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Eighty-five children have died of encephalitis at the hospital in the last week, with news reports saying many of the deaths were caused by a shortage of oxygen supply.</p>

<p>It is alleged the company supplying oxygen to the hospital stopped doing so because&nbsp;it had not been paid.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;As per information and data provided to us, it doesn&rsquo;t look like the deaths have all happened due to shortage of oxygen,&rdquo; the Hindu reported Dr Harish Chellani of Delhi&#39;s Safdarjung Hospital&#39;s paediatric department as saying.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&ldquo;In fact, the number of deaths have reduced compared to last year,&rsquo;&rsquo; &nbsp;the Hindu added Dr Chellani as saying.</p>

<p>The three-member team had visited the hospital on Saturday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Hindu reported Dr Chellani as saying they had submitted an interim report on Monday and that they were all set to submit the final report on Wednesday (today) to the health ministry.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The central government team that visited Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital comprised three members, with the other two being from Delhi&#39;s Lady Hardinge Medical College and the health ministry&#39;s immunisation department.&nbsp;</p>


The three-member team said there have been fewer deaths this year compared to the same period last year

A central government team has said the deaths at Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital were not caused by a shortage of oxygen supply. Eighty-five children have died of encephalitis at the hospital in the last week, with news reports saying many of the deaths were caused by a shortage of oxygen supply. It is alleged the company supplying oxygen to the hospital stopped doing so because it had not been paid. “As per information and data provided to us, it doesn’t look like the deaths have all happened due to shortage of oxygen,” the Hindu reported Dr Harish Chellani of Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital's paediatric department as saying. “In fact, the number of deaths have reduced compared to last year,’’ the Hindu added Dr Chellani as saying. The three-member team had visited the hospital on Saturday. The Hindu reported Dr Chellani as saying they had submitted an interim report on Monday and that they were all set to submit the final report on Wednesday (today) to the health ministry. The central government team that visited Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital comprised three members, with the other two being from Delhi's Lady Hardinge Medical College and the health ministry's immunisation department.

Gorakhpur hospital deaths not caused by oxygen shortage: Central govt team

<p>Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh on Saturday assured quick action will be taken against those involved in the alleged disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen at Gorakhpur&#39;s Baba Raghav Das Medical College&#39;s hospital, following which over<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/30-children-die-in-gorakhpur-hospital-in-a-span-of-48-hours-18913"> 30 infants lost their lives.</a></p>

<p>&quot;People responsible for this will not be spared. Quick action will be taken against the ones responsible for this, as it is a very serious issue,&quot; Siddharth Nath said after meeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here.</p>

<p>He further said that even the Chief Minister visited the hospital recently but the hospital authority didn&#39;t even inform about any such things as being reported.</p>

<p>&quot;The Chief Minister himself went there on August 9, none of the doctors or the administration informed him about any such issue of alleged lack of supply of oxygen,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Siddharth Nath even hit out on the opposition for harping on this issue and said that they should not politicise over the death of the children.</p>

<p>&quot;I will only say that this is a very crucial issue. It&#39;s the work of the opposition to question the ruling party. But they should not politicise over the death of the children. This is not a correct time,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>State Minister for Medical Education Ashutosh Tandon reiterated the same and said action will be taken after detailed probe on the matter.</p>

<p>&quot;The Chief Minister has given us proper instruction on this issue. We will leave for Gorakhpur soon and after details analysis of the situation will take further decision on the same,&quot; Tandon said.</p>

<p>Earlier in the day, the alleged disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen at the hospital claimed lives of three more children.</p>

<p>The shortage of oxygen allegedly led to encephalitis, which is a sudden onset inflammation of the brain, following which the children died.</p>

<p>The families of the children have claimed that the doctors were not treating them well and the hospital was not even providing the medicines which were required for the treatment.</p>

<p>As per the locals, though the hospital is supposed to provide free medical assistance, neither there is proper medical facility available nor are the patients provided free medicines.</p>

<p>Earlier on Friday, it was reported that as many as 30 children lost their lives due to encephalitis in a span of 48 hours at the hospital.</p>

<p>Gorakhpur DM Rajeev Rautela said that the cause of the deaths at the BRD Hospital was the disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen and has further appealed to the suppliers to not cut the supply henceforth.</p>

<p>Following this reports, the Uttar Pradesh Government jumped in defence of the medical college, while also assuring that the District Magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and the report will be out in 24 hours.</p>

<p>&quot;There haven&#39;t been any deaths due to lack of oxygen supply. And &#39;only&#39; seven children have died today. Today three deaths happened in Neonatal ICU, two due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and two due to Non-AES,&quot; UP Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tondon said.</p>

<p>&quot;The District Magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The report will be out in 24 hours,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>He further said that the arrangement of oxygen cylinders was duly made and a strict action will be taken against those responsible for the mishap.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, according to data procured from the BRD hospital, in past five days - from August 7 to August 11, a total of 60 deaths have occurred in the hospital.</p>

<p>The procured data also shows the number of oxygen cylinders sent for refilling each day, showing a clear shortage of liquid oxygen in the hospital.</p>


30 children lost their lives in a span of 48 hours at a hospital in Gorakhpur allegedly due to disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen

Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh on Saturday assured quick action will be taken against those involved in the alleged disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen at Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College's hospital, following which over 30 infants lost their lives. "People responsible for this will not be spared. Quick action will be taken against the ones responsible for this, as it is a very serious issue," Siddharth Nath said after meeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here. He further said that even the Chief Minister visited the hospital recently but the hospital authority didn't even inform about any such things as being reported. "The Chief Minister himself went there on August 9, none of the doctors or the administration informed him about any such issue of alleged lack of supply of oxygen," he said. Siddharth Nath even hit out on the opposition for harping on this issue and said that they should not politicise over the death of the children. "I will only say that this is a very crucial issue. It's the work of the opposition to question the ruling party. But they should not politicise over the death of the children. This is not a correct time," he said. State Minister for Medical Education Ashutosh Tandon reiterated the same and said action will be taken after detailed probe on the matter. "The Chief Minister has given us proper instruction on this issue. We will leave for Gorakhpur soon and after details analysis of the situation will take further decision on the same," Tandon said. Earlier in the day, the alleged disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen at the hospital claimed lives of three more children. The shortage of oxygen allegedly led to encephalitis, which is a sudden onset inflammation of the brain, following which the children died. The families of the children have claimed that the doctors were not treating them well and the hospital was not even providing the medicines which were required for the treatment. As per the locals, though the hospital is supposed to provide free medical assistance, neither there is proper medical facility available nor are the patients provided free medicines. Earlier on Friday, it was reported that as many as 30 children lost their lives due to encephalitis in a span of 48 hours at the hospital. Gorakhpur DM Rajeev Rautela said that the cause of the deaths at the BRD Hospital was the disruption in the supply of liquid oxygen and has further appealed to the suppliers to not cut the supply henceforth. Following this reports, the Uttar Pradesh Government jumped in defence of the medical college, while also assuring that the District Magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and the report will be out in 24 hours. "There haven't been any deaths due to lack of oxygen supply. And 'only' seven children have died today. Today three deaths happened in Neonatal ICU, two due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and two due to Non-AES," UP Medical Education Minister Ashutosh Tondon said. "The District Magistrate has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The report will be out in 24 hours," he added. He further said that the arrangement of oxygen cylinders was duly made and a strict action will be taken against those responsible for the mishap. Meanwhile, according to data procured from the BRD hospital, in past five days - from August 7 to August 11, a total of 60 deaths have occurred in the hospital. The procured data also shows the number of oxygen cylinders sent for refilling each day, showing a clear shortage of liquid oxygen in the hospital.

Gorakhpur hospital deaths: CM Yogi Adityanath orders probe, strict action

<p>Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath began a cleanliness drive in Uttar Pradesh today.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The drive was begun from a school.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lucknow: CM Yogi Adityanath begins cleanliness drive in the state, in a school; actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar also present <a href="https://t.co/Cu9OiyqQpg">pic.twitter.com/Cu9OiyqQpg</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/893331413847523328">August 4, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>The actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar were also present, to give Yogi a hand.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Kumar and Pednekar are starring in the upcoming film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.&nbsp;</p>


The cleanliness drive was begun from a school

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath began a cleanliness drive in Uttar Pradesh today. The drive was begun from a school. Lucknow: CM Yogi Adityanath begins cleanliness drive in the state, in a school; actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar also present pic.twitter.com/Cu9OiyqQpg — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 4, 2017 × The actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar were also present, to give Yogi a hand. Kumar and Pednekar are starring in the upcoming film Toilet: Ek Prem Katha.

Yogi begins cleanliness drive in UP, with a little help from Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar

<p>The opposition Samajwadi Party on Saturday expressed disappointment with security in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly&nbsp;after 60 grams of a suspicious white powder packet was found during an ongoing session yesterday, saying the set up is lacking and needs to be looked into, ANI&nbsp;said.</p>

<p>&quot;This is a sad incident that explosives have been found in the assembly, which means security is at fault, and which should be looked into. It is the responsibility of the government to look after the security of the assembly,&quot; said Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav.</p>

<p>A First Information Report was filed against a person still unknown. UP&#39;s Inspector Genral of the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Aseem Arun, said the discovery of the explosive, Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, suggested there might be a possibility that this was a terrorist act.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;We will scan through the CCTV footage and will do a detailed investigation of the spot today,&quot; Aseem Arun said.</p>

<p>Meanwhile UP&nbsp;Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath,&nbsp;called for a National investigative Agency (NIA)&nbsp;probe.</p>

<p>&quot;The packet of the explosive was found under the chair of the Opposition&#39;s leader. It was 150 grams&nbsp;of PETN. 500 grams&nbsp;of PETN is enough to blow the whole Assembly off. This shows the severity of the situation. I suggest that everybody present in the Assembly should be investigated by the police and that the NIA should investigate into the matter,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>It is unclear where the 150 gram figure that Adityanath cited came from. Various media reported the number at 60 grams, or about 60.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;It&#39;s unfortunate that the largest Assembly of the country doesn&#39;t have a QRT,&quot; Adityanath&nbsp;added. He&nbsp;also said&nbsp;this incident could be in connected&nbsp;with a terrorist or militant group, and said that the security of the state and the country is paramount.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


This comes a day after 60 grams of a powerful explosive was found in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly

The opposition Samajwadi Party on Saturday expressed disappointment with security in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly after 60 grams of a suspicious white powder packet was found during an ongoing session yesterday, saying the set up is lacking and needs to be looked into, ANI said. "This is a sad incident that explosives have been found in the assembly, which means security is at fault, and which should be looked into. It is the responsibility of the government to look after the security of the assembly," said Samajwadi Party leader Shivpal Singh Yadav. A First Information Report was filed against a person still unknown. UP's Inspector Genral of the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS), Aseem Arun, said the discovery of the explosive, Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, suggested there might be a possibility that this was a terrorist act. "We will scan through the CCTV footage and will do a detailed investigation of the spot today," Aseem Arun said. Meanwhile UP Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, called for a National investigative Agency (NIA) probe. "The packet of the explosive was found under the chair of the Opposition's leader. It was 150 grams of PETN. 500 grams of PETN is enough to blow the whole Assembly off. This shows the severity of the situation. I suggest that everybody present in the Assembly should be investigated by the police and that the NIA should investigate into the matter," he said. It is unclear where the 150 gram figure that Adityanath cited came from. Various media reported the number at 60 grams, or about 60. "It's unfortunate that the largest Assembly of the country doesn't have a QRT," Adityanath added. He also said this incident could be in connected with a terrorist or militant group, and said that the security of the state and the country is paramount.

Samajwadi Party's Shivpal Yadav questions government on UP Assembly security

<p>In a major security breach, 150 grams of deadly plastic explosive PETN or Pentaerythritol tetranitrate was found in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly premises on July 12. Uttar Pradesh chief minister called it a conspiracy for a terrorist attack and the UP assembly has unanimously asked for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the matter.</p>

<p>But what exactly is PETN? We take a look at the deadly plastic explosive which has been used in a number of terrorist&nbsp;plots in the past.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>What is PETN?</strong></p>

<p>PETN or Pentaerythritol tetranitrate is a powerful plastic explosive that has been used by terrorists in the past as it is difficult to detect during security checks. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Many countries have imposed strict restrictions on the purchase of the chemical but it can be obtained from the black market, according to a report in The Guardian.&nbsp;</p>

<p>PETN is used by the military and in the mining industry, the report said.</p>

<p><strong>Origins of PETN</strong></p>

<p>PETN was first prepared and patented in 1894 by explosives manufacturer Rheinisch-Westfalische Sprengstoff and it was used by the German military in the First World War.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Bombings which used PETN</strong> &nbsp;</p>

<p>The plastic explosive is preferred by terrorists as it is hard to detect. Terrorists have used the chemical explosive in several bombings in the past.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2001, &quot;shoe bomber&quot; Richard Reid tried to detonate PETN on an American Airlines plane from Paris to Miami but failed to do so. Later, when he was arrested, he wrote a letter expressing his regret at not being able to execute the bombings.</p>

<p>In 2009, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, in a failed attempt, tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane to Detroit. He hid the explosives in his underwear and was burnt himself in the process of detonating the bomb.</p>

<p>In 2010, the cargo plane bomb plot hatched by al Qaeda was prevented by alert security agencies when the two planes carrying PETN were intercepted and PETN was found on them.</p>

<p>The chemical was also found to be used in the explosives used in the Delhi High Court bombings in 2011 which killed 17 people.&nbsp;</p>


The deadly plastic explosive PETN was first prepared in Germany in 1894 and used as an explosive in the First World War

In a major security breach, 150 grams of deadly plastic explosive PETN or Pentaerythritol tetranitrate was found in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly premises on July 12. Uttar Pradesh chief minister called it a conspiracy for a terrorist attack and the UP assembly has unanimously asked for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the matter. But what exactly is PETN? We take a look at the deadly plastic explosive which has been used in a number of terrorist plots in the past. What is PETN? PETN or Pentaerythritol tetranitrate is a powerful plastic explosive that has been used by terrorists in the past as it is difficult to detect during security checks. Many countries have imposed strict restrictions on the purchase of the chemical but it can be obtained from the black market, according to a report in The Guardian. PETN is used by the military and in the mining industry, the report said. Origins of PETN PETN was first prepared and patented in 1894 by explosives manufacturer Rheinisch-Westfalische Sprengstoff and it was used by the German military in the First World War. Bombings which used PETN The plastic explosive is preferred by terrorists as it is hard to detect. Terrorists have used the chemical explosive in several bombings in the past. In 2001, "shoe bomber" Richard Reid tried to detonate PETN on an American Airlines plane from Paris to Miami but failed to do so. Later, when he was arrested, he wrote a letter expressing his regret at not being able to execute the bombings. In 2009, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, in a failed attempt, tried to blow up a Northwest Airlines plane to Detroit. He hid the explosives in his underwear and was burnt himself in the process of detonating the bomb. In 2010, the cargo plane bomb plot hatched by al Qaeda was prevented by alert security agencies when the two planes carrying PETN were intercepted and PETN was found on them. The chemical was also found to be used in the explosives used in the Delhi High Court bombings in 2011 which killed 17 people.

All you need to know about PETN

<p>Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has called an emergency meeting after police found plastic explosive powder inside the state assembly two days ago.</p>

<p>The powder has been identified as an explosive organic compound called Pentaerythritol tetranitrate(PETN).</p>

<p>As soon as the House met, the chief minister informed that a white powder was found wrapped in a paper close to the seat of the Leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Choudhry. The explosive was found by the cleaning staff.</p>

<p>After the powder was sent for FSL examination, it was found to be a dangerous plastic explosive PETN (Pentaerythritol tetranitrate), he said.&nbsp;The dog had squad failed to detect the explosive.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: </strong><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/all-you-need-to-know-about-petn-17920">All you need to know about PETN</a></p>

<p>The chief minister said the National Investigation Agency(NIA) should probe the matter.</p>

<p>It is a &quot;dangerous tendency that the security of the assembly has been breached when the House is in session,&quot; he said.&nbsp;&quot;So far the government was worried about security outside the assembly now this has become a more serious matter,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The dog squad found about 60 grams of the explosive compound?near the Leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Chaudhary's seat

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has called an emergency meeting after police found plastic explosive powder inside the state assembly two days ago. The powder has been identified as an explosive organic compound called Pentaerythritol tetranitrate(PETN). As soon as the House met, the chief minister informed that a white powder was found wrapped in a paper close to the seat of the Leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Choudhry. The explosive was found by the cleaning staff. After the powder was sent for FSL examination, it was found to be a dangerous plastic explosive PETN (Pentaerythritol tetranitrate), he said. The dog had squad failed to detect the explosive. Also read: All you need to know about PETN The chief minister said the National Investigation Agency(NIA) should probe the matter. It is a "dangerous tendency that the security of the assembly has been breached when the House is in session," he said. "So far the government was worried about security outside the assembly now this has become a more serious matter," he said.

Plastic explosive PETN found inside Uttar Pradesh state assembly, CM Adityanath calls meeting

<p>India&#39;s historic minaret Taj Mahal, formerly one of the seven wonders of the world, is not comparable to the Bhagwad Gita and the Ramayan, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath told a BJP rally in Bihar.</p>

<p>Yogi Adityanath, instead, said the prime minister&#39;s practice of gifting the Indian scripture Bhagwad Gita and the epic Ramayan to foreign dignitaries was commendable.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">&quot;???? ??? ???? ?????&quot; ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ???????? ????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ????? ??? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/3SaalBemisal?src=hash">#3SaalBemisal</a> <a href="https://t.co/yDdRO9NfHk">pic.twitter.com/yDdRO9NfHk</a></p>
&mdash; Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) <a href="https://twitter.com/myogiadityanath/status/875583979277004800">June 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Foreign dignitaries visiting the country used to be gifted replicas of the Taj Mahal and other minarets which did not reflect Indian culture,&quot; the Uttar Pradesh chief minister was quoted as saying at the Raj Maidan in Darbhanga.</p>

<p>The firebrand Hindutva leader was attending an event to highlight the BJP&#39;s three years of achievement in Bihar.</p>

<p>He also took potshots at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, daring him to clear his stand on the issue of triple talaq.</p>

<p>A day earlier, Nitish Kumar had challenged Adityanath to make Bihar a dry state like Uttar Pradesh and announce 50 per cent reservation for women.</p>

<p>This was Adityanath&#39;s first visit to Bihar after taking over as Uttar Pradesh chief minister.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


Yogi Adityanath, instead, said the prime minister's practice of gifting the Indian scripture Bhagwad Gita and the epic Ramayan to foreign dignitaries was commendable

India's historic minaret Taj Mahal, formerly one of the seven wonders of the world, is not comparable to the Bhagwad Gita and the Ramayan, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath told a BJP rally in Bihar. Yogi Adityanath, instead, said the prime minister's practice of gifting the Indian scripture Bhagwad Gita and the epic Ramayan to foreign dignitaries was commendable. "???? ??? ???? ?????" ?????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ????? ????? ?? ???????? ????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ????? ??? #3SaalBemisal pic.twitter.com/yDdRO9NfHk — Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) June 16, 2017 × "Foreign dignitaries visiting the country used to be gifted replicas of the Taj Mahal and other minarets which did not reflect Indian culture," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister was quoted as saying at the Raj Maidan in Darbhanga. The firebrand Hindutva leader was attending an event to highlight the BJP's three years of achievement in Bihar. He also took potshots at Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, daring him to clear his stand on the issue of triple talaq. A day earlier, Nitish Kumar had challenged Adityanath to make Bihar a dry state like Uttar Pradesh and announce 50 per cent reservation for women. This was Adityanath's first visit to Bihar after taking over as Uttar Pradesh chief minister. (WION)

Taj Mahal, minarets not representative of Indian culture: Yogi Adityanath

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