Pooja Pal Meets Yogi Adityanath After Being Ousted From Samajwadi Party For Praising UP CM
Pooja Pal, who was expelled from the Samajwadi Party for praising Yogi Adityanath met the UP Chief Minister. Her expulsion and expulsion letter stirred political controversy in the state.
Former Samajwadi Party MLA Pooja Pal on Saturday met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence in Lucknow, days after she was expelled from the party for praising him.
Pal was expelled from the Samajwadi Party, citing anti-party activities and indiscipline. Her expulsion stirred a political row over her statement backing Yogi Adityanath and also over the way in which the party communicated her explusion.
"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," SP chief Akhilesh Yadav's letter to Pooja Pal read.
Pooja Pal, whose husband Raju Pal was shot dead by Atiq Ahmed and his associate, praised the UP CM for the zero-tolerance policy against crime in the state. Pal's husband was murdered just nine days after their marriage.
While speaking in the UP Assembly, Pal lauded Yogi Adityanath for that improved law and order in the state and hailed his policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed and brought her justice.
"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, speaking at the Assembly's 24-hour marathon discussion on 'Vision Document 2047'.
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 said," 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."
Rebel SP MLA Rakesh Pratap slammed SP Chief for addressing Pal as 'Ms' instead of 'Mrs' in the expulsion letter, calling it an insult to woman's dignity. He argued that the use of 'Ms' in Pal's case undermines her identity as a married woman and widow.
“Her husband was murdered just nine days after their marriage. By calling her 'Ms' instead of 'Mrs', Akhilesh Yadav has disrespected not just Pooja Pal but all women who have endured loss and stood strong,” said Singh.
Despite her expulsion, Pal has however, remained firm in her stance and asserted that her support for Yogi Adityanath stemmed from the justice that was delivered to women, especially those affected by criminals like Atiq Ahmed. “Perhaps you could not hear the women in Prayagraj who were even more worried than me. But I am their voice,” she said.
BSP MLA Raju Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj in 2005, just nine days after his wedding with Pooja Pal. Thereafter, Umesh Pal, a key witness to the murder, was shot dead in Prayagraj's Sulem Saray area in February 2023.
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