Back in action, Rajbhar echoes call for SC status
After joining the NDA bandwagon, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar is out to prove his worth. He met CM Yogi Adityanath on Thursday and came out with two announcements -- first, he would make efforts to get Rajbhars included in the SC bracket. So far, his caste comes under OBCs. Secondly, he announced that he would host PM Modi at a grand rally in Azamgarh. The rally, planned in September, would be the start of the NDA’s campaign to regain the seats lost in 2019. Many of them fall under Rajbhar’s area of influence and he would be playing a key role if BJP wins them back.
Mahan Dal fails to make the cut to enter NDA
While SBSP managed to get back to the NDA fold, another contender and former ally of the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party failed to make the cut. Mahan Dal founder Keshav Dev Maurya was all dressed up for the occasion – the NDA meet on July 18 – but he didn’t get the green signal from the BJP brass. According to sources, Maurya was called to Delhi by BJP insiders and assured that he would be invited to the NDA meet. Even a room was booked for him at a government guest house. He was waiting for the call, which didn’t come. But he has been assured that his time would come.
CJI’s advice on how not to use judges’ protocol
CJI DY Chandrachud has some words of wisdom for High Court judges. He has written a two-page note to all CJs to counsel the judges ‘not to use protocol facilities in a manner that would bring the judiciary under public ridicule’. CJI’s reaction was to a recent letter issued by Allahabad HC registry to the Railways seeking an explanation for the inconvenience caused to a judge travelling in a train. “The HC judge does not have disciplinary jurisdiction over railway personnel and hence there was no occasion for the Allahabad HC’s protocol department to call for an explanation from the Railways for the perusal of the inconvenienced judge,” the CJI note said.
Namita bajpai
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh
namita.bajpai@ newindianexpress.com