Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday expelled his party MLA Pooja Pal hours after she thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for "delivering justice" in her husband's murder case.
Pal praised Adityanath for bringing in policies with zero tolerance against criminals and for listening to her "when no one else did". Pooja Pal's husband Raju Pal was shot dead by gangster Atiq Ahmed in 2005.
Speaking in the Uttar Pradesh assembly during a 24-hour marathon discussion on 'Vision Document 2047' on Thursday morning, Pooja said, "Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did."
Also Read: 'Yogi buried my husband’s murderer': SP MLA Pooja Pal thanks UP CM for eliminating Atiq Ahmed
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, News18 reported.
The expulsion stirred a political row with the ruling BJP in the state accusing the opposition of being "anti-Dalit".
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.
Raju Pal's murder
Former Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MLA Raju Pal was shot dead on January 25, 2005, days after he married Pooja Pal. The murder, police said, was a result of political rivalry with gangster Atiq Ahmed's brother Ashraf, whom Raju had defeated in the 2004 bypoll to the Prayagraj West seat.
In February 2023, Umesh Pal, a key witness in the murder case, was shot dead in Prayagraj's Sulem Saray area.
Days later, Atiq and Ashraf - both of whom were arrested - were shot dead by three men when they were being taken for a medical check-up in Prayagraj. Atiq was shot in the head from behind, nearly at point-blank range. Ashraf, too, was shot dead, as the murder was captured on camera. This came days after Atiq's son Asad was killed in an alleged encounter in Jhansi.
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