Sharat Pradhan

Stories by Sharat Pradhan

UP: Rahul continues to woo Muslims, meets law board chief

UP: Rahul continues to woo Muslims, meets law board chief

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2011

Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Sunday called on All India Muslim Personal Law Board chief Maulana Rabe Nadwi, further indicating the party's intent to woo Muslims in view of the 2012 state assembly elections.

Rahul promises reservations to woo Muslims in UP

Rahul promises reservations to woo Muslims in UP

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2011

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Saturday assured the 20 crore-odd members of the Muslim community in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh that a new reservation policy would soon be in place for them. "We will keep our commitment of providing reservation to minorities in the state," Rahul told a gathering of party office-bearers at the UP Congress headquarters in Lucknow on Saturday evening. "We will do it soon," he declared amidst applause.

In or out of Lokpal: Lower bureaucracy speaks out

In or out of Lokpal: Lower bureaucracy speaks out

Rediff.com   9 Dec 2011

Rediff.com reporters spoke to employees of the lower bureaucracy to know what they think of all the commotion surrounding their inclusion in the Lokpal bill.

HC takes serious note of grabbing of army land in Lucknow

HC takes serious note of grabbing of army land in Lucknow

Rediff.com   8 Dec 2011

In what was described as an unprecedented move, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Thursday summoned Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Anoop Misra to make personal appearance in a public interest litigation alleging large scale grabbing of land earmarked and used as the Indian Army firing range in Lucknow.

Three drown as hospital bus falls into canal in Lucknow

Three drown as hospital bus falls into canal in Lucknow

Rediff.com   7 Dec 2011

Three persons including two doctors got drowned while one was reported missing as a hospital bus rolled into a canal in Lucknow on Wednesday.

UP: Babri demolition anniversary brings message of amity

UP: Babri demolition anniversary brings message of amity

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2011

Even as the 19th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Mosque in Ayodhya on Tuesday remained a non-event, what came as a pleasant surprise was the message of peace and communal amity from none other than Babri Masjid Action Committee.

BJP accuses Mayawati's brother of money-laundering

BJP accuses Mayawati's brother of money-laundering

Rediff.com   5 Dec 2011

In what was described as a sensational expose, Bhartiya Janata Party general secretary Kirit Somaiya on Monday alleged large scale money laundering by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's younger brother Anand Kumar, whose assets have allegedly bloated over a short span of time.

In protest, he let loose LIVE snakes in govt office!

In protest, he let loose LIVE snakes in govt office!

Rediff.com   30 Nov 2011

A snake-charmer let loose a number snakes in a government office of a small Uttar Pradesh town to shake-up lethargic government officials ,who would not respond to repeated requests for allotment of a small piece of land to him to set up a serpentarium.

BJP VP Vinay Katiyar claims threat to life

BJP VP Vinay Katiyar claims threat to life

Rediff.com   29 Nov 2011

Bhartiya Janata Party vice president and former Vinay Katiyar has claimed threat to his life by unidentified Islamic extremists.

'UP suffering from policy inertia, needs radical reforms'

'UP suffering from policy inertia, needs radical reforms'

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2011

Former Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Atul Gupta on Saturday said that the state's immune system has weakened affecting the self-correction processes in the government.

Ex-UP ministers involved in NRHM scam served eviction notice

Ex-UP ministers involved in NRHM scam served eviction notice

Rediff.com   25 Nov 2011

Six days after he dared to sound the bugle of revolt against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, former UP minister for family welfare and mines, Babu Singh Kushwaha, was served a notice of eviction from the ministerial bungalow he has been occupying in Lucknow.

Union minister Beni Prasad, son booked for attempt to murder

Union minister Beni Prasad, son booked for attempt to murder

Rediff.com   23 Nov 2011

Union minister for Steel Beni Prasad Verma and his son Rakesh Verma have been reportedly booked for attempt to murder. The complaint was filed against them by Shiv Shankar Shukla, an aspirant for a Congress party ticket for the forthcoming state assembly election from Barabanki, about 35 km from Lucknow.

How Maywati got her way in Uttar Pradesh assembly

How Maywati got her way in Uttar Pradesh assembly

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2011

It was clearly Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's day in the state assembly on Monday when she bulldozed her way to achieve the near impossible -- passing the resolution for division of the country's most populous state into four smaller states in a matter of minutes. Evidently, that marked the success of the second part of her pre-election action plan. When she formally mooted the idea, she stole the thunder from her bete noire Rahul Gandhi.

Dividing UP: Maya throws ball in Centre's court

Dividing UP: Maya throws ball in Centre's court

Rediff.com   21 Nov 2011

Addressing a press conference shortly after ensuring the approval of the resolution in an unprecedented manner, Mayawati said, "Well, we will now forward this resolution to the centre and it is not for them to get an approval of the parliament to see that Uttar Pradesh is divided into four smaller states in the larger interest of the people."

CBI books UP officials in NRHM scam

CBI books UP officials in NRHM scam

Rediff.com   19 Nov 2011

Those in the dock include director general (family welfare) who was responsible for procurement of medicines and equipments besides information, education and communication, director general (medical health) and director (training), state health society, State Innovation in Family Planning and Project Agency, King George Medical University and Chief Medical Officers of 72 districts of the state.

Former UP minister alleges threat to life

Former UP minister alleges threat to life

Rediff.com   19 Nov 2011

Former cabinet minister Babu Singh Kushwaha, widely known as Mayawati's virtual bell-boy, is all set to now give sleepless nights to the state government.

DM accuses home guard of witchcraft, suspends her

DM accuses home guard of witchcraft, suspends her

Rediff.com   18 Nov 2011

In a bizarre incident a young woman district magistrate has accused one of her attendants a woman home guard of staging some kind of witchcraft with yellow mustard seeds in her official bungalow, with the intent of causing harm to her.

Wildlife enthusiast traps man-eater alive in UP forest

Wildlife enthusiast traps man-eater alive in UP forest

Rediff.com   18 Nov 2011

A full-grown man-eater leopard who had reportedly devoured three children and wounded at least half a dozen people, was trapped alive by a wildlife enthusiast in Rana Farm area of Katarniya Ghat sanctuary in Bahraich district, about 130 km from Lucknow on early Friday morning.

Ruckus at Rahul's UP rally: FIRs lodged against Cong leaders

Ruckus at Rahul's UP rally: FIRs lodged against Cong leaders

Rediff.com   16 Nov 2011

In an obvious bid to settle her scores with the Centre, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Tuesday got FIRs lodged against two Union ministers and two Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders for bashing up activists of Samajwadi Party near the venue of Rahul Gandhi's campaign rally in Phoolpur on Monday.

Congress ministers thrash SP protestors over Rahul

Congress ministers thrash SP protestors over Rahul

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2011

Two Union ministers and two senior Uttar Pradesh Congress legislators got together and roughed up a handful of Samajwadi Party activists who attempted to stage a black flag demonstration against Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on his arrival in Allahabad on Monday afternoon.