Ahead of UP elections, Congress appoints Raj Babbar as its UP chief

 Congress leader Raj Babbar was on Tuesday appointed as the party's Uttar Pradesh chief.

The decision was announced by Ghulam Nabi Azad here at a press briefing.

The actor turned politician has replaced Dr. Nirmal Khatri. Babbar had unsuccessfully contested against Gen. V. K. Singh (Retd.) of BJP from Ghaziabad in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Amit Shah terms BSP-SP 'Rahu-Ketu' of Uttar Pradesh

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national President Amit Shah on Saturday termed the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP) in Uttar Pradesh and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as 'Rahu-Ketu' -- two detrimental planets according to Hindu mythology.

Reports of Priyanka leading UP campaign highlights Rahul's failure: NCP

Taking a strong exception to the media reports on the possibility of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leading the poll campaign in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday said it makes no difference if the face of the election is Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or Priyanka, as the Congress Party has lost its relevance now.

BJP leader Dinesh Sharma told ANI that the Congress won't get much in Uttar Pradesh and they have nothing to lose as well.

11-year old kid suffering from cancer writes to PM, UP CM for help

In an emotional appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, an 11-year-old boy from Agra has sought financial assistance for treatment of his blood cancer.

"I have sought help from the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister. I have seen them on the television helping all. So, I wrote to them. Please help me Prime Minister uncle and Chief Minister uncle. I am hopeful they will help me," the boy Ansh said.

Mathura violence: Hema Malini again takes to Twitter, this time to target media

BJP MP Hema Malini, who has been drawing flak for posting pictures of her movie shoot on Twitter at a time when her Parliamentary constituency Mathura was hit by a violence, again took to the micro-blogging website on Saturday, targeting the media for 'diverting the attention from the main issue'-the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.
"In Mathura&condoled with the bereaved families.I still can't understand how the great media thinks the sansad is responsible for law & order. They seem to be diverting attn frm the main issue -tht law & order is purely the state govt's responsibility.Why target me? I'm doing my job (sic)," she said in a series of tweets.

Citing the example of Rawal village of Mathura, the renowned actress, said that anyone in the city would vouch for her sincerity as she was improving living conditions, providing roads and drinking water.

Mathura SP among 20 killed in clash

The toll in the Mathura violence rose to 20 on Friday as Superintendent of Police Mukul Dwivedi and others injured in Thursday's clash between police and encroachers during an anti-encroachment drive, succumbed to their injuries, officials said.

While 250 people have been detained for their involvement in the incident, the city continues to be tense even as heavy police reinforcement has been deployed in the violence hit region.

Dwivedi, a 1995 batch officer had joined as SP (City) Mathura seven months ago and is being remembered as one of the finest in the district police force.

BJP trains guns at UP Govt. over Mathura violence

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday castigated the violent clashes between the police and illegal occupants of a land in Mathura and slammed the Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav led-Uttar Pradesh government, for not being able to maintain law and order situation in the state.

BJP leader Prabhat Jha told ANI that the Samajwadi government in the state has failed to give good governance and that it should be prosecuted in the regard.

Mathura clashes: UP CM announces 20 lakh ex gratia for slain SHO

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav announced an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakh for the Station House Officer, who was among the 14 killed in the violent clashes between police and illegal occupants of a land in Jawahar Bagh in Mathura last night.

The cult-like group of nearly 2,000 protesters, who claim to be the "true followers of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose", got violent after they were asked to evict the land they were encroaching upon, following the directions of the Allahabad High Court.

ADG (Law and Order) Daljeet Singh Chaudhary told the media that the protesters opened fire on the police and also lobbed grenades on the cops.

Triple talaq ban: UP's first woman qazi demands govt. intervention

Dubbing the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan's move to demand a ban on triple talaq as 'misinterpretation of 'ayats' (verses), Uttar Pradesh's first woman qazi Hina Zaheer Naqvi on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to intervene into the matter and demanded an immediate ban on the practice.

Akhilesh Yadav to adopt village in Shravasti district

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav will today adopt a village in Shravasti District under the state nutrition mission.
The Samajwadi Party led state government has decided to launch an integrated scheme, for providing nutritious food to pregnant woman and malnourished children from June 20.

Activists take 'sand bath' to protest Yamuna water crisis

Ever wondered how you will bathe when there would be no water?

The members of the River Connect campaign in the city yesterday took a 'sand bath' to demonstrate against the major water crisis in the Yamuna river.

The protesting activists also said that the scarcity of water would also affect the beauty of the iconic Taj Mahal.

The members of the campaign, thereby, urged the authorities to arrange for water facilities as quickly as possible as Ganga Dussehra is round the corner and lakhs of devotees are expected to take a holy dip in the Yamuna river on the occasion.
-Source ANI

School principal in Hathras removed for segregating students on caste basis

A school principal in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh was removed on Friday for allegedly segregating students on the basis of caste.

According to the students and teachers of Seth Phulchand Baagla Inter College, the principal Radheshyam Vaishnav had divided the ninth standard students on the basis of their castes.

Section A of ninth standard had the students from general category, while Section B had maximum number of students from the Other Backward Classes (OBC). Section C had students from the Scheduled Caste (SC). The class teachers of all the three sections also belong to same castes.

Labourers can now relish thali at Rs. 10 in Lucknow

The Samajwadi Party (SP)-led Uttar Pradesh Government on Sunday inaugurated a canteen for labourers, where a 'thali' will cost Rs. 10.

The inauguration of the canteen was done by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the Lucknow Secretariat building.

"On Labour Day, we have started canteen for labourers in Lucknow so that they can avail quality food at minimal cost," Yadav said.

He also said it is for the first time that Rs. 1000 every month would be given as pension to the labourers above 60 years.
-Source ANI

Sitapur district authorities start demolition of Rampal Yadav owned hotel-cum-multiplex

Authorities in Biswan, a town and a municipal board located in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district have begun demolishing a hotel-cum-multiplex property that is said to belong to Samajwadi Party MLA Rampal Yadav.

According to media reports, a JCB tracked excavator and wheel loader have pressed into service to demolish the said Sparsh Hotel-cum-Multiplex building on the orders of the court in front of Yadav and the district authorities.

On Thursday, the Lucknow Development Authority, according to a Dainik Bhaskar report, ordered the razing of a building also reportedly belonging to Rampal Yadav.

Yadav's lawyer, Lalit Mishra, however, told media that the court had ordered a stay on the demolition of the Sparsh Hotel-cum Multiplex, but Sarvesh Kumar Dikshit, the Additional District Magistrate of Sitapur district, differed, and said that there was no order from the court to stay the demolition of any property in the area that was under dispute and illegal.

Yadav is reportedly also projected as the "Mini Chief Minister" of Uttar Pradesh.
-Source ANI

Security of five Uttar Pradesh prisons handed over to PAC

With growing incidents of rioting within jail premises in the state, the security of five prisons, including Lucknow jail, has been handed over to the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), an official said on Thursday.

The jails which would now be under 24x7 security cover of the PAC are Lucknow, Agra Central, Naini, Muzaffarnagar and Gorakhpur.

PAC personnel would report to the district administration and police officials.

Additional Director General (ADG) Prisons D.S. Chauhan said the new security arrangement was part of the "centralised security system" which has been set in motion for state prisons.

All entry points in these prisons would be manned by PAC personnel, something which hitherto was in the hands of jail staff.

This was necessitated after a series of violent incidents rocked jails in Varanasi and Deoria.
-Source IANS

LPG cylinder blast kills seven

At least seven persons were killed when an LPG cylinder exploded in a house in Barabanki district near here on Wednesday, police said.

The incident took place in Rafipur village where a wedding was to take place on Thursday. Over a dozen people were injured, two of whom were said to be in critical condition.
-Source IANS

UP policemen's celebratory firing leaves boy killed

A teenaged boy was killed and two injured in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday when a group of policemen went on a firing spree while celebrating engagement of a family member, police said on Tuesday.

After the "tilak" ceremony of a man, his policemen relatives late Monday fired at least fifty rounds to "express happiness" at the ebent. The celebratory firing took place in Mahsui village.

By the time celebrations ended, 15-year-old Mahendra was killed and two people, Gaurish and Rohit, were left with gunshot wounds.

The police later arrested two people and impounded a licensed weapon. Others were still on the run with their weapons, Station House Officer (SHO) Sunil Singh told IANS.

Eyewitnesses said as the function was being conducted, drunk policemen began firing all around.

There have been many deaths in celebratory firing across Uttar Pradesh in the past. Despite strict directives of the Supreme Court and Uttar Pradesh High Court, the firing spree continues unabated.
-Source IANS

UP govt. to constitute committee to probe into land allotment to Jaypee Group

The Uttar Pradesh Government will constitute a committee to probe

into the allotment of 25,000 acres of land to set up a cement factory in Sonbhadra district to the Jaypee Group.

The committee will submit its report within a month.

The state government had last week taken back the allotted land from the real estate group

after Uttar Pradesh Forest Department raised objection over the land allotment claiming that the company was carrying out illegal mining in the region.

The matter was taken up in Supreme Court recently where a reply was sought from the UP government on the matter.

The real estate is already facing heat over the delayed possession of apartments in its housing projects spread across Noida and Greater Noida.
-Source ANI

AMU clash: One student killed, proctor office, vehicles torched

A student was killed in an altercation between two groups of students of the Aligarh Muslim University last night, which left the proctor office and two vehicles in flames.

The police in a bid to stop the violence, fired in the air. However, one of the students was killed in the firing.

Despite attempts by the police, the violence did not die down till 2 a.m.

Two students- Mehtab and Mohammad Waqif also got injured in the firing.

According to sources, students from Sambhal, Azamgarh and Ghazipur were present during the clashes.
-Source ANI

Teenage girl injured in acid attack in UP

A 16-year-old girl today received burn injuries when a youth threw acid on her near Jawaharlal Nehru Degree College, police said.

The girl was going for tuitions when the accused identified as Ajay threw acid on her, they said.

She was rushed to the district hospital where the doctors described her condition as stable, police said, adding the acid used in the attack was "not very strong".

The accused has been arrested.
-Source PTI