Fringe outfit’s hoardings slam PM, hail Yogi; FIR lodged
LUCKNOW : A fringe outfit, UP Nav Nirman Sena, caused a flutter by allegedly putting up hoardings criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and praising Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in various parts of the city. A Lucknow Municipal Corporation official said the hoardings were removed after they came to notice on Wednesday morning. A case was registered against the UP Navniram Sena, police said. The hoardings were put up late Tuesday night after the BJP’s defeat in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
LUCKNOW : A fringe outfit, the UP Nav Nirman Sena, caused a flutter by allegedly putting up hoardings criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and praising Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in various parts of the city. A Lucknow Municipal Corporation official said the hoardings were removed after they came to notice on Wednesday morning. A case was registered against the UP Navniram Sena, police said.
The hoardings with “Yogi Lao Desh Bachao” (bring Yogi and save country) written on it read “Jumlebaazi ka naam Modi” (Name of fake promises is Modi) on one side and “Hindutva Ka Brand Yogi” (Yogi is a Hindutva Brand) on the other with #Yogi4PM on the top.
The hoardings were put up late Tuesday night after the BJP’s defeat in Rajasthan, Mad- hya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Additional municipal commissioner Amit Kumar said, “No permission was taken from the Lucknow Municipal Corporation for the installation of such hoardings .The hoardings were pulled down as soon as additional municipal commissioner Anil Mishra saw one of them on Wednesday morning. The LMC has also lodged an FIR against the organisation and people responsible for installing such hoardings without the permission of the authorities.” The FIR was lodged at the Hazratganj police station.
“An FIR has been registered against UP Nav Nirman Sena under various sections of the IPC. We are probing the matter,” Additional Superintendent of Police, East, Sarvesh Kumar Mishra said.
Additional municipal com- missioner Amit Kumar said, “Anil Mishra was shocked to see such hoardings. He immediately called the zonal officer to remove them. They were removed within 15 minutes.”
Municipal commissioner Indramani Tripathi has directed officials of the LMC’s advertisement department to remain vigilant and go tough on organisations and individuals spreading hatred in the society.
In a statement, western UP-based leader and Nav Niram Sena founder Amit Jaani, who allegedly vandalised a statue of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati in 2013, said dharm Sansad (religious conclave) will be held at Rama Bai Ambedkar ground in Lucknow on February 10 next year if the BJP government failed to begin Ram temple construction by January.
For his part, Amit Jaani said he had the right to express his political views and there was nothing wrong in the hoardings. Jani also released a video in which he praised Yogi.
He said he will support NOTA (none of the above) instead of Modi in the Lok Sabha election.
Describing Yogi as a better choice for the prime minister’s post, he said the UP chief minister had done a lot for the majority community.
He said he will popularise the slogan “Yogi nahin to vote nahin (No Yogi, no vote)” during the Dharam Sansad on February 10.
A BJP spokesman dismissed it as an attempt for “cheap publicity”.
Amit Jani was sent to jail by the Samajwadi Party government five years ago after he vandalized a statue of former chief minister Mayawati in Gomti Nagar. But he came out on bail later and formed his outfit, the UP Nav Nirman Sena.
Last year, he was arrested for threatening to kill JNU students Kanahiya Kumar and Umar Khalid.