SP expels UP MLA who praised CM Adityanath

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party on Thursday expelled its Prayagraj (West) MLA Pooja Pal over charges of anti-party activities and serious indiscipline. The move comes after she publicly praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s “zero-tolerance” policy on crime, crediting it for securing justice in her husband’s murder case.

Pal had said that former MP Atiq Ahmed was behind the killing of her husband, and under the Yogi government’s tough stance on crime, not only she but many women in Prayagraj had received justice. Her remarks reportedly caused unease within the SP leadership, which has been attacking the Yogi government over alleged law-and-order failures.

During the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Mata Prasad Pandey had accused the state government of acting selectively against criminals based on caste and religion. Pal’s public appreciation of the same government’s policies was seen as undermining the party’s position.