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The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
UP ministers vs civil servants saga: Fresh flashpoint as 8th Yogi minister speaks out in viral letter
In his letter addressed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Nandi claimed that for the past two years, officials had refused to share critical files with him despite repeated instructions. He alleged that officers have been taking arbitrary decisions, bypassing established policy frameworks, and even causing key files to 'go missing' in order to obstruct development work. Nandi is the eighth minister in the state to have raised questions on the officials in his own government in the second tenure of Yogi Adityanath. Before him, Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak, Cabinet minister Ashish Patel, Sanjay Nishad, MoS (Independent) Dinesh Pratap Singh, Jaiveer Singh, MoS Dinesh Khatik and MoS Pratibha Shukla also raised questions on government officials on different occasions. Lucknow: The ongoing rift between Uttar Pradesh ministers and the bureaucracy shows no signs of easing. In the latest development, a letter written to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Nandi has gone viral. He has made serious allegations against officials, accusing them of ignoring government policies, negligence, disobeying ministerial directives, and extending undue benefits to select individuals. The minister also flagged several cases of alleged irregularities, for which high level probes have now been ordered. He mentioned that a list of such controversial cases was sent to the CM's office in October 2024. Although instructions were issued on 29 October 2024 to submit all pending files within a week, the files were not submitted even after six months. He further highlighted a three-year-old directive to decentralise departmental work that was never implemented due to the disappearance of the file. The minister's office told ThePrint that he did not want to talk about the issue. Also read: Whistle-blowers or party snipers? UP ministers' 'letter bombs' leaving Yogi govt red-faced 8th minister to raise questions on officials On 5 July, UP cabinet minister Ashish Patel accused the state government's information department of trying to destabilise his party Apna Dal (Soneylal) by 'pressuring' a section of the media to run false and misleading stories about dissension in the party. Though Ashish did not write any letter, he posted on social media. However, he had earlier written to the CM on the alleged negligence of department officials. In February, Pratibha Shukla, Minister of State for Women Welfare, Child Development and Nutrition wrote to the Director, Integrated child development scheme (ICDS) on the alleged corruption and irregularities in her department. She has openly accused the district programme officers (DPO) and the employees in her office of irregularities in recruitment. Citing various official tours in her letter, the minister wrote that whichever district she visited, she received a lot of complaints of corruption in recruitment. Before Shukla, Cabinet minister & BJP ally Sanjay Nishad also raised questions on state officials on many occasions. In one of his statements in June he said, 'Officials do not listen to ministers. They are answerable to us and we are answerable to the public.' He also added, 'There are a few officers in the state cabinet who are politically inclined towards the Samajwadi party and the Bahujan Samajwadi party but pretend to support the BJP. They give wrong feedback to the high command,' he said. These letters and statements also gave the Opposition a chance to target the Yogi government. SP spokesperson Pooja Shukla remarked that the tussle between ministers and civil servants in the Yogi government has become a routine affair. 'Such incidents are reported almost every other day. It's now evident that even the ministers are unhappy with the Chief Minister. That's why their letters keep surfacing publicly. Scams are unfolding in every department, and the Chief Minister appears unaware. So much for the so-called double engine government,' she said while speaking to ThePrint. Why it is happening again? Analysts say, Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Nandi's accusations signal a pattern of discord within the state's administrative framework. This growing friction between the ministers and the bureaucratic machinery has sparked a debate over accountability and the balance of power in the functioning of the state government. As per senior functionaries in the UP BJP, there are several instances of tussles between state ministers and civil servants in the past three years. It all started with a letter from deputy CM Brajesh Pathak in July 2022 to the then Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), Medical and Health, Amit Mohan Prasad, expressing his displeasure over the transfers of doctors in the department. The transfers took place when the deputy CM was not present in the state. Since then, several ministers have opted to write letters against officials, which have gone viral on social media. On condition of anonymity, one minister in the Yogi Cabinet told ThePrint, 'It is an open secret now that officials are running the system. All transfers, postings and tenders happen without the minister's consent. We have very little say. As of now, no minister can say that he has a direct access to the CMO except one or two. For minor things, we (have to) take approval from the CMO or top officials. It increases everyone's frustration. Sometimes it results in a viral letter,' he said. According to S.K. Dwivedi, UP-based political analyst and a retired professor of the University of Lucknow, 'The UP government should focus on solving these issues. Brand Yogi is strong undoubtedly, but these issues which look small could become big before the 2027 elections. The 'dissatisfaction' factor should not be mentioned in ministers' statements and letters. These things create a wrong perception about the government.' When ThePrint contacted UP BJP chief Bhupendra Chaudhary, he said that he was not aware of this development. 'It is the government's internal issue. It has nothing to do with the state organisation,' he said. (Edited by Viny Mishra) Also read: Why two UP ministers, BJP MLA are accusing Yogi govt officials of sabotage, persecution
The Print
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
UP Info dept with Rs 1,700-cr budget used to ‘break' Apna Dal—BJP ally Ashish Patel's dig at Yogi govt
In a strongly worded social media post, Patel launched a scathing attack on his own government and the media by alleging that a section of the press is operating under 'pressure' from the Yogi Adityanath government to spread false narratives and create confusion within Apna Dal (S), a party which has a considerable sway among the Kurmi OBC caste. Ashish Patel's attack comes in the wake of a group of dissident leaders launching a new political outfit called Apna Morcha after parting ways with the Apna Dal (S), a BJP ally in the state and at the centre. Lucknow: Union minister Anupriya Patel's husband Ashish Patel, himself a minister in the Uttar Pradesh government, has accused the Yogi Adityanath government's information department of trying to destabilise his party Apna Dal (Soneylal) by 'pressuring' a section of the media to run false and misleading stories about dissension in the party. He claimed the information department has been allocated a huge budgetary outlay to pursue this objective. 'What kind and how much pressure does a Rs 1700-crore budget of the information department exert! Ask a section of the media about what they have to write and do under this pressure. They have to show the Apna Dal (S) is falling apart every day,' he said in a post on X in Hindi. 'Sometimes they have to run stories about nine MLAs defecting, sometimes they have to host news of 12 MLAs switching sides. They are under quite a heavy compulsion,' he claimed. He went on to throw further taunts at the media, giving them 'unsolicited but sensible' advice. 'Don't go through this hassle everyday. Just today, once and for all, break the Apna Dal (S) into as many parts as you want. Nine MLAs or 12 MLAs—assign them to whichever party you wish. And for the satisfaction of your heart, go ahead and write that the Apna Dal (S) no longer exists.' 'That way, the entire hassle ends, those pressuring you will be happy, and the Rs 1700-crore budget of the information department will have been properly utilised. You also won't have to act like slaves to baseless statements and false information from politically dead leaders every single day.' He then asserted the Apna Dal (S) has been nurtured with the sweat and blood of millions of the marginalised and oppressed, and the party has fought such conspiracies and its workers are well-trained to do so. 'The Apna Dal is not a fragile house of cards, but a kind of grass that sprouts even in adversity.' He ended his post with a poem of resolve penned by Mahakavi Pash. 'Main ghaas hoon, main aapke har kiye-dhare par ug aaunga. Bomb fenk do chahe vishwavidyalay par, bana do hostel ko malbe ka dher, suhaaga phira do bhale hi hamari jhopadiyon par, mujhe kya karoge? Main to ghaas hoon, har cheez dhank loonga, Har dher par ug aaunga. Main ghaas hoon, main apna kaam karoonga, main aapke har kiye-dhare par ug aaunga. (I am grass. I will sprout back on everything you do. Throw bombs at the university if you must, reduce the hostel to a heap of rubble, smash our huts to pieces if you wish, but what can you do to me? I am grass — I will cover it all. I will sprout from every heap. I am grass — I will do my work. I will grow back over everything you do.' Also Read: Why Raj Kumar Pal stepped down as UP chief of Apna Dal (S), a '2-personality show' The beginning of current crisis On 1 July, a group of Apna Dal(S) dissidents including its former general secretary Arvind Singh Patel, spokesperson Chaudhary Brajendra Pratap Singh Patel, youth wing chief Hemant Chaudhary and almost a dozen Kurmi caste leaders declared the new outfit Apna Morcha as the 'real voice' of Apna Dal (S). Addressing reporters, these leaders launched a scathing attack on the current leadership of Apna Dal (S), accusing it of sidelining and humiliating founding members and long-time party workers. They also said both Anupriya and Ashish Patel were ignoring Kurmis in the party. The morcha leaders also claimed to be in touch with nine current MLAs of Apna Dal (S). Earlier this year, Raj Kumar Pal resigned as the Apna Dal(S) state president after accusing the Patels of neglecting him and mistreating party workers. As per sources, Pal has not joined the rebel morcha as he is in talks with the Samajwadi Party. Ashish Patel said all these are part of a 'gameplan'. 'There is a clear conspiracy against our party. After some rebels formed a morcha, we wrote to the chief minister to remove two rebels as the members of the Purvanchal Vikas Board but that did not happen. We also got inputs that these rebels have the back up of some power centres. We understand this whole gameplan against us. Now, we will not stay silent,' he told ThePrint. This is not the first time that Ashish Patel has attacked the BJP-led Uttar Pradesh government. In January this year, he not only accused then Uttar Pradesh director of information Shishir Singh and chief minister's media advisor Mrityunjay Singh of tarnishing his image by 'planting false stories', but he also dared the Amitabh Yash-led Special Task Force (STF) to shoot him in the chest 'if they have the guts'. Patel was facing flak from his sister-in-law Pallavi Patel for alleged irregularities and corruption in promotion of candidates in technical education department, which he heads as the minister. His wife and Apna Dal (Sonelal) national president Anupriya Patel has also been targeting the Adityanath-led government for some time. Just after the Lok Sabha poll results in 2024, she wrote to him, alleging that reserved seats meant for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) had been 'unreserved' during the government recruitment process. The letter came in the backdrop of the BJP's relatively weak performance in the Lok Sabha polls and the concern among the coalition partners about SC and OBC voters shifting to the Opposition bloc. Both husband and wife always praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah in their speeches but avoid taking the name of Yogi Adityanath. In Uttar Pradesh, Kurmis are considered the second largest OBC group after Yadavs, holding significant political influence across various regions of the state. Given their importance, the BJP cannot afford to lose a key ally representing this community. Though chief minister Aditynath has not responded to this issue yet, a senior functionary at the chief minister's office said, 'The matter is essentially a tussle between the Centre and the state. While Anupriya and Ashish Patel enjoy a strong rapport with the central leadership, their relations with the state leadership are strained. As a result, they are now being used as pawns to tarnish the image of the state government.' (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Behind Apna Dal (S) naming a Dalit UP chief, a bid to cut into BSP's voter base
Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Information dept funds being misused to spread rumours on Apna Dal(S): Ashish Patel
HAVING EARLIER alleged that a 'conspiracy' was afoot to hamper Apna Dal (S), party leader and state minister Ashish Patel took to social media to allege that funds of the information department were being 'misused to spread rumours about split of Apna Dal(S).' In a Facebook post on Saturday, Ashish Patel wrote, 'What is the pressure of the Information Department's Rs 1700-crore budget and what all one has to write and do under this pressure? One should ask a section of the media.' He added, 'Under the pressure of this budget, Apna Dal-S is broken every day. Sometimes they have to run the news of nine MLAs fleeing and sometimes they have to spread the news of 12 MLAs switching sides. My wise and unsolicited advice to this section of the media is that do not keep up the daily hassles. In a single day, in fact today itself, divide Apna Dal (S) into as many parts as you want. As per your wish, get as many MLAs nine, ten or twelve included in whichever parties you want, get them done today itself.' Targeting the media and alleging that it was writing under pressure from the information department, Ashish said that this way 'people pressuring you will also be happy and the Information Department's budget of Rs 1700 crore will also be utilized properly.' Patel, who had in the past also alleged 'conspiracy at work' claimed that Apna Dal is built by deprived and exploited sections of the society. He said that the party is used to such conspiracies since its inception and that workers would not be misled by it. When contacted Ashish Patel said that the reason for this post was that perception was being created on the basis of statements of those, who were expelled by the party a few years ago. 'Statements of those who were expelled from the party years back are being taken into consideration to project a 'split' in the party. What else can we say, except that we would. Ot be demoralized by these conspiracies and rumours. As for the rest, I have said in my post,' Ashish told The Indian Express.
Hindustan Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Change is on the cards in 2027 UP assembly polls: Pallavi Patel
Apna Dal (Kameravadi) leader and Sirathu MLA Pallavi Patel on Wednesday said that change is on the cards in the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, pointing to what she described as growing dissatisfaction among Dalits, Muslims, and backward communities with the current government. The Sirathu MLA from Kaushambi district contested the 2022 assembly elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket (File Photo) Speaking at Kamera Samman Diwas held in Ayodhya to mark the birth anniversary of her father and Apna Dal founder Dr Sone Lal Patel, Pallavi Patel said a caste-based census remains a long-standing demand of her late father and the party. She pledged to ensure the findings of such a census include meaningful participation from marginalised communities. 'Today we have gathered here to honour the legacy of Dr Sone Lal Patel, who always stood for the dignity of the Kamera community,' she said. 'Across the country, there are people who are trying to take away our voting rights, which have been granted to us by the Constitution. These elements are endangering our future.' 'In the 2027 assembly polls, there will be a change in the system and the current regime. Those who truly deserve to be in power will have the opportunity. This is the reality that today Dalits, backwards and Muslims are in a pitiable condition in the state and that is why a change in governance is required,' she claimed. The Sirathu MLA from Kaushambi district, who contested the 2022 assembly elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket and defeated deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya in one of the most high-profile contests of the polls, reiterated that the present condition of Dalits, backward classes, and Muslims in Uttar Pradesh calls for a change in leadership. Calling the Kamera community's assertion a 'revolution', Pallavi said the movement goes beyond caste and speaks to the rights of the common people. 'This revolution is about dignity, recognition, and rightful participation,' she told the gathering.
Indian Express
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In pursuit of UP poll leverage, how BJP ally Apna Dal (S) is playing the long game
Looking to expand beyond its core Kurmi base and strengthen its organisation, the Apna Dal (Soneylal) party has been making key appointments for the past month in Uttar Pradesh. On May 29, the party led by Union Minister Anupriya Patel appointed Dalit leader R P Gautam, who hails from the Jatav community, as its state president, and on June 16, it tapped Prayagraj-based youth leader Ammad Hassan to lead its youth wing. In addition to this, the party recently also appointed coordinators for each of the 403 Assembly seats in UP. Sources said the new appointments were an attempt to showcase the party's strength in the run-up to founder Sone Lal Patel's birth anniversary on July 2 and set the ball rolling for the panchayat polls in 2026. Anupriya Patel and state Cabinet Minister Ashish Patel, her husband, have been conducting monthly party meetings in Lucknow to take stock of the organisational overhaul. Anupriya has also started publicly pushing for a separate Union Ministry for OBCs and highlighted the party's strategy to reach out to various OBC communities to create a broader vote bank. Sources said the efforts were all in preparation for the 2027 polls, and the BJP ally wants to be in a position to go solo if needed and have greater bargaining power. 'We are moving strategically and trying to strengthen our party and its base. In the next few days, you will see more announcements. We are the only party in the state to have a Jatav Dalit state chief. We might not be in a position to take policy decisions directly for the Dalits and OBCs. But we are making attempts to influence policy decisions,' said a senior party leader. He also said the party's outreach efforts were visible in the issues they were backing 'We are supporting the demand for a caste-based Census, pushing for OBC reservation in central schools and NEET examinations … Our leader Anupriya Patel ji is pushing with a fresh demand for a separate OBC Ministry,' the leader said. Newly appointed state president Gautam told The Indian Express that efforts were on to expand the party and strengthen it at the grassroots. 'Our pitch will be centred on social justice and upliftment of the deprived sections,' he said. After Anupriya took over the party in 2009, Apna Dal (S) saw its best performance in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, when it won 12 seats. In the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Apna Dal (S) contested two seats. Patel retained her Mirzapur Lok Sabha constituency by more than 37,000 votes, but the party lost Robertsganj. In a bid to course correct, and to be on surer footing, the party dissolved all of its units and started building its organisation from scratch after the polls. On April 14, the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, the Apna Dal (S) launched a statewide membership drive. The panchayat polls, which are due early next year, will be the first test for the party after the revamp. Even though the panchayat polls in UP are not contested on party lines, political parties directly or indirectly extend their support to candidates. This time, the party has decided to extend support to candidates in a more official and structured manner, according to insiders.
