Uttar Pradesh

Gonda (UP), Jan 7 (PTI) Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said protesting farmers should have allowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach the rally venue in Punjab's Ferozepur to let him witness and address the "empty chairs" there.

Mocking the PM's security breach, Yadav said due to the cancellation of the public meeting at Ferozepur, the country was deprived of knowing why the three farm laws were brought and later withdrawn.

Noida, Jan 8 (PTI) In view of the forthcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, a total of 150 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel are being provided to the state by the Centre in the first phase, officials said.

These include 50 companies of the Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF), 30 companies each of the Border Security Force (BSF), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and 20 companies each of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

One company of CAPF generally has around a hundred personnel.

Lucknow, Jan 6 (PTI) Amid various political parties seeking to woo voters with promises of free power and other freebies ahead of the assembly polls, the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday announced a 50 per cent cut on farmers' electricity bills for running their tubewells.

The Chief Minister's office made the announcement on its official Twitter handle that said the decision to slash the power bills has been taken in the interest of farmers.

Muzaffarnagar (UP), Jan 7 (PTI) A nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two boys in the district, police said.

The incident took place a few days ago but a police complaint was lodged on January 5, police said on Thursday.

According to the police complaint filed by the victim's parents, the girl was playing near her house when the two accused -- aged 10 and 14 -- took her away and later allegedly raped her.

Police said the girl was sent for medical examination and that further investigation was underway.

Lucknow, Jan 5 (PTI) Though the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya continues to dominate poll-eve politics in Uttar Pradesh, the deity's subsequent incarnation Lord Krishna too has made an entry in the political arena with the ruling party and the opposition repeatedly invoking him.

So far, God Krishna's torchbearers have been the current and a previous chief minister, a deputy CM, Deputy Speaker of the legislative assembly, a state cabinet minister and Mathura MP Hema Malini.

Balrampur (UP), Jan 5 (PTI) A local Samajwadi Party leader was killed by unidentified assailants near his house here, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place when Firoz Ahmed, alias Pappu, a former chairman of Tulsipur Nagar panchayat, was returning home on Tuesday night. The assailants slit his throat, police said.

New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) The RSS Muslim wing has plans to hold a door-to-door campaign in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh to apprise women from the community of the measures taken by the BJP governments at the Centre and the state for their welfare and empowerment.

As part of the move, the Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) has decided to organise at least 50 meetings with minority community members in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the Assembly polls next year.

Lucknow, Jan 5 (PTI) The ruling BJP on Wednesday set up a 24-member election committee, including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls next year.

According to a statement issued by the UP BJP, after the approval of party's national president Jagat Prakash Nadda, the national general secretary of the party, Arun Singh, announced names of the members of the committee.

Mathura (UP), Jan 3 (PTI) A priest of Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan was allegedly assaulted by six other priests on Monday, police said.

Vrindavan Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Ajay Kaushal said Shailendra, one of the accused, along with five other associates allegedly attacked another priest, Mohit.

He said an FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (assault) and 506 (criminal intimidation) has been registered based on a complaint by the victim priest.

Kanpur: The city has one good news. Its one bus station will be revamped by the UP state roadways transport corporation.

Although 17 bus bus stations in the State will be developed under the well-known formula of PPP yet the commuters will get the benefit of this work in two years hence.

As reports say, with the tender invitation by the UPSRTC, these bus stations will be developed into commercial complexes under the Public-Private Partnership Model.