Page 43 - English Tehelka Issue 12 - June 30, 2018
P. 43

uttar pradesh




          Akhilesh YAdAv cAlls                           ters to vacate the government  verdict in the case of Shiv

 elections including Shanta Kumar                        bungalows allotted to them   Sagar Tiwari. The Apex Court
 who is 85 years now. It is said that   bungAlow row A bJP’s   after demitting their office.   approved the guidelines
 party may field Prem Dhumal from                        Since the judgment has af-  suggested by Press Council of
 Hamirpur from where his son Anu-                        fected not only the father-son  India to regulate allotments
 rag Thakur is MP at present. Chief   consPirAcY         duo but also, BJP stalwarts   of flats to working journalists.
 Minister Jai Ram Thakur wants a                         like Kalyan Singh and Rajnath  The present ruling did not in-
 candidate of his choice from Mandi,   The row over Akhilesh Yadav vacating official    Singh, BSP president Maya-  terfere with settled position,”
 which is his home constituency.                         wati and 93-year-old veteran   said veteran journalist Sharat
 When  asked  to  comment  on   bungalow in disrepair has become a talking point   Congress leader Narayan   Pradhan.
 six months performance of the Jai   in Uttar Pradesh, writes Mudit Mathur  Dutt Tiwari, therefore, all the   The former secretary,
 Ram government, CPM legislator                          members of the legislature   Government of India, Vijay
 Rakesh Singha gave it only 2 marks                      passed this act to legitimise   Shankar Pandey demanded
 out of ten. ‘’BJP government have                       their occupation on govern-  penal action against Akh-
 not fulfilled even a single promise                     ment bungalows.           ilesh Yadav for causing huge
 it made to the people during elec-                         The Supreme Court held   damage to the government
 • Crisis: Protest against rising wa-  tions, he said and added that right   this exercise of power and   bungalow while vacating
 ter crisis in Shimla adds to worries   from farmers to the common man   struck it down terming it to be  it days ago. Pandey alleged
 of Jai Ram Thakur  are extremely unhappy with the       unconstitutional. The changes  the state government had
 government.                                             were “arbitrary and dis-  spent around  42 crore in the
 The Congress Legislative Party                          criminatory” and violated the   renovation of the bungalow
 (CLP) leader in the Assembly Muke-                      concept of equality, the judges  located at 4-Vikramaditya
 Singh and Prem Kumar Dhumal   between Dhumal and Shanta Ku-  sh Agnihotri described the Jai Ram   said. The Supreme Court judg-  Marg in Lucknow. The dam-
 were considered as strong leaders   mar, but Nadda also. Jai Ram never   government as ‘’proxy government’’   ment ruled, “It is a legislative   age was deliberate and out of
 who had a grip on the bureaucracy.   had a strong group in the state BJP   of the RSS. ‘’This government is   exercise based on irrelevant   sheer frustration of vacating
 Jai Ram, who is known as ‘’soft lead-  and even after becoming the chief   working under the influence of RSS.   and legally unacceptable con-  it after Supreme Court verdict,
 er’’ in the political circles, wants to   minister he had mainly focused on   It has failed on all fronts and law   siderations, unsupported by   said he.
 come out of this image.  government only. Former CM Prem  and order situation is out of control,   any constitutional sanctity.”  BJP leaders are up in arms
 A senior member in the Jai Ram   Dhumal despite facing defeat in   he added. However, state BJP chief   To escape media cover-  adding fuel to fire over this is-
 cabinet, on the condition of ano-  the assembly elections still havea   Satpal Satti described the Jai Ram   he patriarch of   • adding fuel: Pictures published by   age, the Akhilesh Yadav   sue. “The damage done to the
 nymity told this correspondent   stronghold in the state. Even state   government as successful. ‘’In the   Samajwadi Party,   media showed extensive damage of   government under the garb   bungalow by Yadav shows his
 that ‘’afsarshahi belagam ghode   BJP chief Satpal Satti is considered   small period of six months, it has   Mulayam Singh   the bungalow  of the earlier judgment of   frustration”, said BJP spokes-
 kee tarah hoti hai aur usse aap   to be close to him.  worked for the welfare of all sec-  Yadav and his son   2016 affecting former CMs,   person Harish Chandra
 bina sakht huye kaam nahin karva   There  are  words  doing  the   tions of the society and fast work-  T and former chief   unnecessarily dragged   Srivastav. On the other hand,
 sakte (the bureaucracy is like an   rounds that BJP high command will  ing to fulfil the promises, added the   minister, Akhilesh Yadav,   floor tiles and laminations. Air  journalists into its ambit by   Samajwadi Party leader Sunil
 uncontrolled horse and you can-  change at least three candidates   state BJP chief.  have lost possession of their   conditioning ducts of the cen-  cancelling allotment of flats to  Singh Sajan, a close aide of
 not be a successful government if   out of total four Lok Sabha seats in   palatial official bungalows   trally air-conditioned house   all the journalists. Thereafter,   Yadav, called it a conspiracy
 you fail tocontrol the officers). He,   the state in the coming Parliament   letters@tehelka.com  after an elongated battle to   had been pulled out, swim-  his government adopted a   to malign the image of Yadav
 however, denied to comment on   retain it by hook or crook.   ming pool, modular kitchen,   policy to re-allot them under   following the defeat of BJP
 a question that chief minister was   They even resorted to all sorts  cycle track, decorative plants,   newly enacted Act and rules.   in Kairana and Noorpur
 “soft’’ towards the bureaucracy but   of legal options and legislative  lights, bathroom fittings,etc.   In fact, the Apex Court had   by-elections.
 added that officers are part of the   Challenge of 2019 Lok    way out to escape the adverse  were found damaged or   no occasion to examine the   Yadav too reacted to allega-
 government.  verdict of the Supreme Court   missing.    issue relating to allotment of   tions, “If one should learn
 On the political front, Jai Ram   Sabha polls  that ordered evicting of the   Confirming the reports,   type IV and V flats in favour of  from BJP how to defame
 is facing multiple pressures. State   gigantic bungalows occupied   Yogesh Shukla, Estate Officer   working journalists on rent   someone. The government
 BJP has two former chief ministers   by former chief ministers.  told Tehelka, “We are in a pro-  basis as it was not impugned   should say what has been
 Prem Kumar Dhumal and Shanta   The biggest challenge in front of the chief minister    The controversy erupted   cess of verifying our inven-  by the petitioner, NGO Lok   damaged and what is miss-
 Kumar. Besides them, a strong Un-  will be 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Himachal has four    when allegations against    tories issued to Yadav from   Prahari, led by retired IAS   ing.” “These officers should
 ion Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda   seats and BJP had won all four in 2014 elections   Akhilesh Yadav surfaced that   time to time and to scrutinise   officer and its secretary Satya   be aware that governments
 too have clout in the state power   during Modi wave. Now, even BJP leaders admit that   he took away valuable light-  sanctions of fixtures and fur-  Narain Shukla.  come and go. I have seen of-
 corridors. He was a cabinet minister   situation is not like 2014. Obviously, the performance   ings, décor from the newly   niture him, only then I will be   “The issue relating to allot-  ficials pick up cups and plates,
 in the previous (2007-2012) Dhumal   of Jai Ram government will play a major role in the   reconstructed, furnished   able to say something about   ment of government accom-  they should not get in to such
 government and now considered to   results. If BJP fails to retain all seats,  not only the    bungalow and left a damaged   the quantum of damages and   modation on rent to working   behaviour of smearing my
 be a close confidant of Prime Min-  opposition Congress but rivals in the BJP will also   floors and roofs at the time of   assessment of loss.”  journalists was in-depth   name in public.”
 ister Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.   start raising a question mark on Jai Ram’s capabilities.  vacating it. Pictures published   The Supreme Court has   considered and settled by
 Jai Ram has to keep balance not only   by media showed damaged   ordered former chief minis-  the Apex Court in an earlier   letters@tehelka.com



 tehelka / 30 june 2018  42  www.tehelka.com  Tehelka / 30 june 2018  43  www.Tehelka.com



 40-42 Rakesh Rocky.indd   4  16/06/18   1:16 PM  43 ​Mudit Mathur.indd   3                           16/06/18   3:15 PM
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