While the ruling dispensation is going gaga over the success of Operation Sindoor, it is yet to pay heed to repeated pleas by bereaved families of Pahalgam victims of conferring martyr status on those who were massacred in Baisaran valley on April 22. Sanjay Dwivedi, father of Shubham Dwivedi, the first victim of the terror attack, has written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding compensation for bereaved families and granting “martyr status”. Dwivedi, in his letter, reportedly expressed hope that leaders across parties lines would stand by their demand, as the issue, beyond petty politics, is one of national interest.
Panchayati Raj order attracts Yogi action
A botched order from the Panchayati Raj department was about to put Yogi government in the dock if the CM had not rushed in to withdraw it right on time. The order pertained to removal of encroachments by those of a “specific caste (Yadav) and a specific religion (Muslim)” from 57,691 village panchayats across the state. Calling the order “completely discriminatory and unacceptable”, and a serious administrative lapse, the CM also ordered immediate suspension of joint director SN Singh, the signatory of the order. The CM found its language and perspective divisive, and violation of government policies, which he asserted, could not be driven by prejudice.
Learning alphabets with ‘PDA pathshala’
A Samajwadi Party (SP) functionary Farhad Alam has landed in legal soup for allegedly operating an illegal ‘PDA pathshala’ (school) in Saharanpur where children were being taught political slogans rather than the syllabus. An FIR, filed at Dehat Kotwali police station, said children at the ‘school’ were being taught “A for Akhilesh”, “D for Dimple Yadav”, and “M for Mulayam Singh Yadav”. These references to SP leaders sparked public outrage after a purported video of the ‘curriculum’ went viral, leading to accusations of politicising education. Farhad has been booked under BNS section 353 (2) (promoting enmity between different groups) and the ST/SC Act.
Namita bajpai
Our correspondent in Uttar Pradesh
namita.bajpai@newindianexpress.com