Samajwadi Party on Thursday expected Pooja Pal, the party’s Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Chail seat in Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh.
The expulsion came hours after Pooja Pal praised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his “zero tolerance policy” against crime.
The Samajwadi Party cited her ‘anti-party’ activities for the decision.
“You have carried out anti-party activities, and even after being warned, you did not stop these activities, due to which the party has suffered a lot. The work done by you is anti-party and a serious act of indiscipline. Hence, you are expelled from Samajwadi Party with immediate effect,” read the letter of
Pooja Pal stood by her statement after her removal, lauding CM Yogi Adityanath’s governance for improving law and order in the state.
“Perhaps you could not hear the women in Prayagraj who were even more worried than me. But I am their voice, I have been elected as an MLA and sent to the Assembly. I am the voice of mothers and sisters who have lost their loved ones. They have sent me here. All people in Prayagraj who were disturbed due to Atiq Ahmed have been given justice by the CM, not just to Pooja Pal. I have been saying this from day 1, even when I was in the party. I am expelled only today. I stand by my statement,” she said.
Who is Pooja Pal?
Pooja Pal is the widow of former BSP MLA Raju Pal who was murdered merely 10 days after their marriage. Mafia don Atiq Ahmed’s brother Ashraf was accused of killing the Raju Pal.
Pooja was pitted against Atiq Ahmed’s brother Ashraf by the BSP in a bypoll from Allahabad city’s western seat. She lost. She was again given a BSP ticket in the 2007 elections. In 2012, she was re-elected to the seat.
Mayawati reportedly sacked her from BSP in February 2018 after she met with BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Pooja joined the Samajwadi Party in 2019 and successfully contested the 2022 Assembly election from Kaushambi district’s Chail seat.
Thanked Yogi for acting against criminals
Earlier, while speaking in the UP Assembly, Pooja Pal thanked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for the zero-tolerance policy against crime that improved law and order in the state.
She said UP CM gave her justice by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed.
“Everyone knows who murdered my husband (Raju Pal). I want to thank the Chief Minister for bringing me justice and hearing me when nobody else did. The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed. Today, the entire state looks at the CM with trust,” she said.
“Mere pati ke hatyare Atiq Ahmed ko Mukhya Mantri ne mitti mein milaane ka kaam kiya’ (The Chief Minister has buried my husband’s murderer Atiq Ahmed,” she said.
How was Ragu Pal killed?
BSP MLA Ragu Pal was shot dead in Prayagraj in 2005, days after his wedding with Pooja Pal.
In February 2023, Umesh Pal, a key witness to the murder, was shot dead in Prayagraj’s Sulem Saray area. Several rounds were fired, and bombs were hurled at Umesh and his gunners.
The Chief Minister has buried my husband’s murderer Atiq Ahmed.
Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf Ahmad were the prime accused and were arrested by the police. On 15 April 2023, they were shot dead by men posing as press persons while being taken for a medical examination in Prayagraj by police.
