Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 14 : The expulsion of Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal for alleged anti-party activities and indiscipline has drawn sharp criticism from several Uttar Pradesh ministers, who accused the party of being intolerant of differing views and disrespectful towards women.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said the move reflected the "anti-women" mindset of the party, which was also accepted by the House unanimously.
"To be expelled on the eve of Independence Day for supporting the vision of Viksit Bharat in the House shows the poor thinking of the Samajwadi Party. The House unanimously accepted that the Samajwadi Party's policy is anti-woman," Pathak remarked.
UP Cabinet Minister OP Rajbhar echoed the sentiment, alleging the party was unwilling to face the truth.
"The Samajwadi Party does not have the habit of listening to the truth. It's their party's matter, they should know, but Pooja Pal has spoken the truth," he said.
Women and Child Development Minister Baby Rani Maurya also condemned the expulsion, praising Pal's statements in the Assembly.
"She (Pooja Pal) had praised the government, stating that the government is doing good work and talked about a developed Uttar Pradesh... Does the SP want to turn this state back into a land of hooliganism and looting?... The policy of the Samajwadi Party is that they never respect women...," Rani Maurya said.
Samajwadi Party MLA from Chail, Pooja Pal, has been expelled from the Samajwadi Party after she praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his "zero tolerance policy" against crime.
Samajwadi Party expelled her from the party, citing anti-party activities and indiscipline.
"You have carried out anti-party activities, and even after being warned, you did not stop these activities, due to which the party has suffered a lot. The work done by you is anti-party and a serious act of indiscipline. Hence, you are expelled from Samajwadi Party with immediate effect," read the letter of Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav addressed to Pooja Pal.
However, MLA Pooja Pal stood by her statement after her removal, lauding CM Yogi Adityanath's governance to improve the law and order in the state.
Speaking to ANI, Pal said that her party could not hear the women in Prayagraj who were even more worried than she was.
"But I am their voice, I have been elected as an MLA and sent to the Assembly. I am the voice of mothers and sisters who have lost their loved ones. They have sent me here. All people in Prayagraj who were disturbed due to Atiq Ahmed have been given justice by the CM, not just to Pooja Pal. I have been saying this from day one, even when I was in the party. I am expelled only today. I stand by my statement," she said.
"I became an MLA later, but I am a victim woman first, a wife first...We could not stand the incident that occurred with us...They speak of PDA. I too belong to a backward community, I was troubled, I stepped out of my house because my husband was killed in broad day light, I was a newly-wed bride and there was nobody at my home...They have proven that they are completely against PDA," she added.
Earlier, while speaking in the UP Assembly, Pooja Pal, whose husband Raju Pal was shot dead by Atiq Ahmed and his associate, thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the zero-tolerance policy against crime that improved law and order in the state.
The SP MLA said that the UP CM gave her justice by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed.
Speaking at the Assembly's 24-hour marathon discussion on 'Vision Document 2047,' Pooja Pal said, "Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju Pal). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did. The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at the CM with trust," she said.
Praising CM Yogi, she said, "Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko Mukhya Mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya' (The Chief Minister has buried my husband's murderer Atiq Ahmed."
She further added," I raised my voice when I saw that no one wanted to fight against criminals like Atiq Ahmed. When I started getting exhausted with this fight, CM Yogi Adityanath gave me justice."
BSP MLA Raju Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj in 2005, days after his wedding with Pooja Pal. In February 2023, Umesh Pal, a key witness to the murder, was shot dead in Prayagraj's Sulem Saray area.
Several rounds were fired, and bombs were hurled at Umesh and his gunners. Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmad were the prime accused and were arrested by the police. On April 15, 2023, they were shot dead by men posing as press persons on the night of April 15 while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj.