Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav also appeared to take a soft stand on the outfit, saying it had not been found to be involved in the Varanasi blasts and the terrorist attack in Ayodhya.
Dharmendra Pratap Singh is 8 feet, 1 inch tall.
The incident has triggered protests by party workers who fought a pitched battle with the police.
The SP also alleged that it was the BJP people who got Umesh Pal, a key witness in the 2005 killing of then BSP legislator Raju Pal, murdered.
The matter cropped up as soon as the two Houses met for the day and the Question Hour got derailed in the din over the issue in the Lok Sabha.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in an interview with CNN-IBN hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party saying there is ample evidence to show that BJP leaders are stoking communal divide in the state.
The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of financial mismanagement and missing donations related to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya. The move follows a request from the Trust itself, amidst escalating political demands for transparency from various parties including the Samajwadi Party and Congress.
Police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur have registered cases against the X handles of the Congress and Samajwadi Party for allegedly spreading rumours related to the death of a teenage girl.
Nawajish Shahid, the son of SP MLA and former minister Shahid Manzoor, was picked up from Meerut and arrested subsequently, a police officer said.
'The Ayodhya incident has certainly hurt the faith of all of us, of Ram devotees like us.'
Police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur have registered cases against the X handles of the Congress and Samajwadi Party for allegedly spreading rumours related to the death of a teenage girl.
Defections have become the order of the day in Uttar Pradesh. And on Saturday suspended ruling Bahujan Samaj Party member of Legislative Assembly Guddu Pandit switched loyalties to the Samajwadi Party.
Sending mixed signals in Uttar Pradesh, Congress on Sunday hinted at a possible alliance with the Samajwadi party against the Bahujan Samaj Party and accused the state government of corruption saying Chief Minister Mayawati cannot be expected to give a 'transparent' administration.
Its three MLAs will raise the SP's tally in the 403-member UP assembly to 190.
'Some people may not like what I am saying, but shortcomings have to be pointed out. These deficiencies should be rectified within the next three months.' 'This is Gorakhpur, where our CM himself resides. If such shortcomings exist here, then what will happen?'
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing of a girl in Hardoi's Bilgram area, asserting that Uttar Pradesh has become 'number one' in crimes against women under the BJP rule.
Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday alleged that the Election Commission was discriminating with SP as it had not lifted the ban on campaigning of state minister Mohd Azam Khan while BJP UP in charge Amit Shah was given permission to campaign.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and seers have filed police complaints and FIRs against Rahul Gandhi, Pappu Yadav, and Awadhesh Prasad for a skit performed in Parliament, alleging it mocked Sanatan culture and ridiculed Indian traditions concerning Ram Temple donations.
The Samajwadi Party has ended its association with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) due to a lack of funds, according to party president Akhilesh Yadav.
Two days ahead of Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Kheri, some of senior leaders from Uttar Pradesh, mainly from Samajwadi Party, on Saturday joined the Congress.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has pledged to introduce more initiatives focused on women's education, safety, and welfare if his party regains power in 2027, highlighting the importance of women's status in assessing a society's condition.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has voiced his support for the TMC and DMK after their losses in recent assembly elections, while criticising the Congress party.
Senior Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust functionary Champat Rai has reportedly resigned, stating his "service in Ayodhya is complete" due to the donation embezzlement controversy. He feels "betrayed," and his future, along with that of Trust member Anil Mishra, will be decided at a July 6 meeting. The controversy began with allegations from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, leading to an SIT investigation, arrests, and Rai's resignation offer.
The issue has snowballed into a major row.
The fraud was exposed by none other than his estranged wife who had already lodged a complaint against Majhi, who had once even managed to get a ministerial berth.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has alleged that crores of rupees from donations made to the Ram Temple are missing, calling the situation "extremely sensitive" and "highly embarrassing." He has urged the court to take suo motu cognisance, while a member of the temple trust has suggested an inquiry if doubts persist.
The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, a constituent of the Bhaatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, has staked claim to 32 seats for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, with the aim to wrest the Samajwadi Party's stronghold of Azamgarh.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has accused the BJP government of mistreating his party workers in Ghazipur, following allegations of sexual assault and murder of a 17-year-old girl. Yadav also criticised the police investigation and announced financial assistance to the victim's family.
Political leaders across party lines have expressed their condolences following the death of Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. Prateek Yadav passed away at the age of 38 under mysterious circumstances.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder of a girl in Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, alleging that the state has become unsafe for women under the BJP government. He visited the victim's family, offered financial assistance, and criticised the state administration for failing to protect her despite her repeated appeals to the police.
A caste recalibration is simmering just below the surface in UP.
Discarded Indian pacer Praveen Kumar has joined Samajwadi Party on Sunday ahead of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Kumar, who has represented India in six Test matches and 68 ODIs, said that he met UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav and took the decision to join his party. "I have met CM and decided to join the party. I will do whatever is possible for the party," Kumar told reporters after meeting the CM, who is also state president of SP.
The Congress party is intensifying its efforts to strengthen its organizational base in Uttar Pradesh, with plans to contest all 403 seats in the 2027 Assembly elections. Senior leaders emphasize grassroots preparations, voter outreach, and public meetings to regain political ground in the state.
It may be a little late in the day, but Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav had apparently realised the futility of shaking hands with his one time sworn political foe and Bhartiya Janata Party rebel, Kalyan Singh. Mulayam, who had struck a alliance with Kalyan apparently in the hope of building a new backward axis in a caste-ridden Uttar Pradesh, had finally decided to dump the latter.
Newly-appointed Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam on Wednesday hinted at an equal seat-sharing arrangement with the Samajwadi Party for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
A day after his resignation was accepted by the Ram temple trust, its former general secretary Champat Rai on Tuesday said he would respond to all allegations of donation embezzlement after the SIT submits its final report, even as opposition parties alleged a "cover-up" and stepped up the demand for its dissolution.
Traffic congestion allegedly caused by Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party vice-president Durvijay Singh Shakya's roadshow triggered a political row in Budaun on Friday after several candidates claimed they missed the second shift of the state Teacher Eligibility Test.
With Uttar Pradesh assembly elections approaching, an analyst suggests the BJP is in a strong position. Meanwhile, Punjab's political landscape is described as fluid with mixed public satisfaction towards the ruling AAP.
