More than 3000 Samajwadi Party workers attended a ‘virtual rally’ in the party office in Lucknow on Friday (January 14). An FIR has been registered.
A ‘virtual rally’ of the Samajwadi Party in Lucknow on Friday (January 14) was attended by over 3000 party workers. In a bizarre defence of it, party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said he didn’t know the definition of ‘virtual rally’. He said he thought some people could be present physically, and the rest could watch it over broadcast. He added, “Till the microphone and a few people are there in front of the leader. There is no urge to speak.”
In the same rally, former Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya, who had recently quit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to join the Samajwadi Party (SP), was welcomed in the SP fold by Akhilesh Yadav.
Lucknow Commissioner of Police DK Thakur said that an FIR has been registered Samajwadi Party leaders under Sections 188, 269, 270 and 341 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), along with relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act. Lucknow District Magistrate Abhishek Prakash confirmed that no prior permission was taken for any rally at the Samajwadi Party office.
In his defence, Akhilesh Yadav said they had sent no invitation for the rally, but people joined on their own. “When people came without invitation, what could we do,” he said.
Akhilesh Yadav, who debuted in politics as the Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in 2000, was chief minister of Uttar Pradesh from 2012 to 17. He has a degree in engineering from the University of Sydney in Australia. What surprised many was his comment that he didn’t know the definition of a virtual rally. He campaigned for the 2012 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls on the plank that he is tech-savvy and modern in his thoughts. He also claims to have distributed thousands of tablets and computers in the state.
When the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the poll schedule on January 8 for assembly elections in five states, it banned any physical rally or campaigning. The decision was taken considering the number of rising Covid-19 cases in the country.
“If a candidate or political party violates any of the above guidelines, no further permission shall be given to the concerned candidate/party for rallies, meetings etc,” the EC had said.
The voting in UP is spread over seven phases, starting February 10. The counting of votes will start on March 10. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is in the fray to get a consecutive second term, and former CM Akhilesh Yadav wants to wrest the state from the ruling BJP.
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