The Samajwadi Party on Thursday expelled party MLA Pooja Pal for anti-party activities and indiscipline, a day after she praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for delivering justice to women after the death of gangster-cum-politician Atiq Ahmed.
Notably, Atiq Ahmed was an accused in the 2005 murder case of her husband and former BSP legislator Raju Pal. Pooja Pal had thanked CM Yogi for delivering justice to women under the government’s anti-crime policies.
In a letter, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav accused Pooja Pal of anti-party activities, which harmed the party. “The action taken by you is against the party and a serious breach of discipline. Hence, you are being expelled from the Samajwadi Party with immediate effect. Additionally, you will be removed from the party’s other posts and you will not take party in any event/meetings of the party, nor you will be invited," he added.
The BJP lashed out at the Samajwadi Party for sacking OBC MLA Pooja Pal, saying the Congress and SP chose families over minorities. “After ST Minister sacked by Congress for speaking truth in Karnataka, now SP sacks OBC MLA for speaking truth! For Parivarvadis Parivar First. OBC SC ST welfare last! (sic)" said BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari.
Reacting to her expulsion, Pooja Pal stood by her remarks and said CM Adityanath had worked to deliver justice to people who were affected by Atiq Ahmed’s criminal activities in Uttar Pradesh.
“I am the voice of all the poor and helpless mothers and sisters who have sent me here. I only want to say that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has worked to deliver justice to the people of families affected by Atiq Ahmad in Uttar Pradesh… When something is right, it will be called right," she told news agency ANI.
In 2005, BSP MLA Raju Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj, shortly after his marriage to Pooja Pal. In February 2023, Umesh Pal, a crucial witness to the murder, was killed in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray area. Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmad were the main suspects and were arrested by the police.
Atiq Ahmed and his brother were shot dead in the midst of police security, while being taken for a medical check-up in April 2023.
While addressing the 24-hour marathon discussion on ‘Vision Document 2047’ in the UP Assembly on Wednesday, Pooja Pal thanked Yogi Adityanath for eliminating Atiq Ahmad and lauded his zero-tolerance policies.
“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.
“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. 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."
Atiq Ahmed was a dominant figure in Uttar Pradesh politics, who had over 100 criminal cases against him, including murder, kidnapping, and extortion, over a career spanning four decades. He was also a five-time MLA and former Lok Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party.
Source: News18
