Uttar Pradesh

Led by SP president Akhilesh Yadav, about 119 MLAs and MLCs, along with other party leaders, started marching towards the Assembly on Monday morning but were stopped by the police since they did not have the requisite permission. Police officials asked the SP MLAs to take an alternative route to the Assembly but they refused.

"September 22 has been reserved for women members as per the agenda that the business advisory committee has approved for the house from September 19 to 23. Only the women members will be allowed to speak after the question hour on this day reserved for women," said the Speaker Satish Mahana.

"On his own, Nitish Kumar barely managed to win two seats. His seat share increased in subsequent polls as he contested with BJP support. But, now, without Modi's face, he stands no chance in UP and even in Bihar, he would find things difficult. In fact, he would not open his account," said Maurya.

The primary focus of the party is on the 16 Lok Sabha seats it lost in 2019 elections in Uttar Pradesh as well as the seats from where the BJP MPs have been winning elections continuously, especially those where the same party leader has won both the previous Lok Sabha elections.

From Union Minister Giriraj Singh to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, as well as many veteran BJP leaders, hailed the judgment which was clearly evident with reverberating chants of Lord Shiva made by them. This shows that how significant this issue is politically for the BJP.

The opposition parties, particularly those in Uttar Pradesh, are unable to take a stand on the issue. If they back the Hindu petitioners, they will lose out on Muslim support, and if they side with the Muslims, they will be dubbed 'anti-Hindu'. The Samajwadi Party, which is the main opposition party in Uttar Pradesh, has avoided taking a clear stand on the Varanasi verdict on the Gyanvapi controversy though Akhilesh Yadav has been accusing the BJP of stoking communal issues for electoral gains.

Former Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Avanish Awasthi retired from IAS officer service on August 31. According to an official order, Avanish Awasthi's term will be till February 28, 2023 and he will advise the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in administrative matters.

The AIMPLB has termed it a part of the "targeting" of the institutions by the BJP-ruled states. Qasim Rasool Ilyas, executive member of the AIMPLB, said, "Madrasas are being targeted in Uttar Pradesh and Assam. This is being done even though minority institutions are protected under the law. In Assam, the government has gone as far as to bulldoze some of the smaller madrasas while converting others to schools.

The move has evoked a sharp reaction from the leaders of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. According to official sources, the changing of names was part of the delimitation exercise, under which the number of wards went up to 80 in Gorakhpur, with several of these named after iconic personalities and freedom fighters. A senior official said that people can file their objections within a week and after their disposal, the delimitation will be approved. Samajwadi Party leader and Ismailpur corporator Shahab Ansari charged that changing of names is an attempt at polarisation.

According to reports, a local resident had given a complaint letter to Union Minister Smriti Irani saying that after the death of his father, who was a teacher, his mother Savitri Devi is entitled for pension but the verification is not being done by the lekhpal Deepak.