Latest news with #SwamiPrasadMaurya
Hindustan Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Schools' merger may endanger education in rural areas: SP Maurya
LUCKNOW Apni Janata Party chief Swami Prasad Maurya on Tuesday took pot shots at the Bharatiya Janata Party government in UP over its recent decision of merger of schools with less than 50 students, alleging it was an attempt to hand over education into private hands. The AJP chief requested the government to reconsider this decision in the interest of poor kids. (File Photo) 'There are plans to close primary and upper primary schools with less than 50 students. The government is calling it 'school merger', but the ground reality is something else. Such decisions can endanger the future of education in rural areas, especially for the children of poor, Dalit, tribal and backward classes,' he said speaking at a press conference at his residence here. The former minister said the decision would deprive thousands of children of education. 'Moreover, it will have a huge impact on girls who may drop out by 90% in rural areas while 50% of the boys may drop out after this merger,' added Maurya. 'Farmers, labourers, Dalits, tribals and backward class people, who do not have resources, send their children to village schools. If these schools are closed, where will these children will happen to the mid-day meal scheme? This decision is not only against Article 21A and 46 of the Constitution, but also anti-poor and anti-people,' he said. The AJP chief requested the government to reconsider this decision in the interest of poor kids, saying: 'According to the Constitution, it is the government's responsibility to provide free and compulsory education to children between 6 and 14 years of age. This is covered under Article 21A and the Right to Education Act (RTE Act, 2009). In such a situation, closing schools is a direct violation of the Constitution.' Maurya also asked the government not to engage teachers in other irrelevant works apart from teaching and urged chief minister Yogi Adityanath to review his decision. 'It seems this is a deliberate attempt to privatise the education system and prove that our teachers are ineffective,' alleged Maurya.
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Twist in UP politics: Swami Prasad Maurya launches bloc, names himself CM candidate
Former minister and a prominent OBC face in Uttar Pradesh politics, Swami Prasad Maurya on Thursday announced the launch of a new political front - Lok Morcha - comprising nine small parties. Addressing a press conference, Maurya declared himself as the chief ministerial candidate of the Morcha. 'We will launch a campaign for the 2027 assembly election with the slogan - UP Bachao - BJP Hatao (Save UP - Remove BJP from power). The parties that joined Lok Morcha include Apni Janata Party led by Swami Prasad Maurya, Rashtriya Samanta Dal led by Motilal Shastri, Samyak Party led by Rajamani Suvvaiya Rai, Janseva Dal led by Vinesh Thakur, Political Justice Party led by Rajesh Siddharth, Sarvlokhit Samaj Party led by Satya Narayan Maurya, Swatantra Janata Raj Party led by Ghanshyam Kori, Sabka Dal-U led by Pramod Lodhi and Loktantra Suraksha Party led by Rajkumar Saini. Majority of the parties forming the Lok Morcha are led by leaders from backward communities. Maurya said the Lok Morcha will launch a movement across UP on public issues. From Friday, the leaders of the Morcha will organise meetings in the various districts of Lucknow division to enlighten people about the programme and ideology of the Morcha. The representation of the various castes in the party organisation will be given according to their population- 'jiski jitni sankha bhari- uski utni hissedari' will be our slogan to win the support of various castes, he said. Launching a scathing attack on the state government, Murya said that law and order has deteriorated, reservation is not implemented in hiring staff through outsourcing, the price of the essential commodities has skyrocketed, education has been privatised and children coming from poor families are deprived of education, the farmers are exploited and the Muslim community is terrorised, he said. The Lok Morcha will raise a demand for polling through ballot papers in assembly and Lok Sabha elections, he said. Once a close aide of BSP chief Mayawati, Maurya was minister in the BSP government - 2007-12. On August 8, 2016 he joined the BJP along with his supporters. He was given a ticket from his traditional seat Padrauna in the 2017 assembly election, Maurya represented Padrauna seat in the assembly in 2009 by poll and 2012 assembly election as well. He won the seat again in the 2017 assembly election and was made minister in the BJP government. He rose in rebellion before the 2022 assembly election and joined the Samajwadi Party. He contested assembly election from Fazilnagar seat but was defeated by the BJP candidate. Later, in February 2024 he quit the Samajwadi Party.
Hindustan Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Akhilesh confused about the meaning of PDA: Swami Maurya
Former Uttar Pradesh minister Swami Prasad Maurya on Friday claimed that Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav was himself not aware of the real meaning of his own PDA (Pichda or backward, Dalit and Alpsankhyak or minorities) slogan. 'Sometimes he (Akhilesh Yadav) says 'P' denotes Pandit and sometimes he says it means Pichda. Sometimes he says 'A' in PDA means 'Aadhi Aabadi' and sometimes he says it means 'Anusuchit Janjati'. When he himself is confused what direction will he give to the society,' he claimed when asked if he would go back to the SP following its good show in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on the PDA plank. 'The PDA is nothing more than a drama. So, I have decided to maintain a distance from them (SP people). I am working on ground among people and fighting for their issues, and I do not have time to think about such people,' he added. Maurya, also the Apni Janta Party chief, expressed these views while addressing a press conference at his residence here. On the fourth leg of his state-wide 'Samvidhan Samman and Janhit Hunkar Yatra' starting on Saturday, he said: 'We started the yatra on the birth anniversary of Kanshiramji on March 15, 2025. The fourth leg of it will start from Jagdishpur in Amethi and will pass through Sultanpur, Ambedkarnagar, Ayodhya, Gonda, Balrampur, Shravasti and culminate in Bahraich on May 23.' 'The main objective of the yatra is to wake up the central and state governments, which are sleeping on important issues like inflation, unemployment and atrocities on Dalits and Muslims,' the Apni Janta Party chief said. He also demanded reservation in outsourced jobs and pay for the outsourced employees at par with the government employees. On the Yogi government's action against encroachments, including madrasas and mosques on the Indo-Nepal border, he alleged, 'The BJP government is dividing the society on the basis of religion. This government is meting out step-motherly treatment to OBCs, SCs, STs and minorities alike.'
