In the hallowed precincts of Lucknow, the Samajwadi Party orchestrated an exodus from the legislative assembly on Tuesday. Their protest echoed against the backdrop of what they deemed the “state government’s failure to curb the burgeoning menace of stray cattle” and alleged irregularities tainting the implementation of the reservation policy in the recruitment processes of the prestigious KGMU and Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences (RMLIMS) in the city of Nawabs.
Unfurling the crux of the matter during the Zero Hour, the articulate SP MLA, Manoj Pandey, bemoaned the escalating peril posed by stray cattle to both agrarians and the common folk. The rapacious appetite of these animals, he contended, has wreaked havoc on agri-fields, leaving standing crops decimated across various districts. He poignantly remarked on the plight of farmers, compelled by the harsh cold to mount vigil over their fields, shielding them from the encroaching threat of stray cattle.
Pandey, in a poignant assertion, underscored the inadequacy of government-mandated cowsheds in mitigating the issue. According to him, these sanctuaries, established with the intent of corralling stray cattle, have become a graveyard for several unfortunate bovines. He implored the state government to extend compensation to farmers whose toil and produce have fallen victim to the rampant destruction wrought by these wandering creatures.
Responding to these charges, the Minister of Animal Husbandry, Dharampal Singh, offered an elucidation veiled in bureaucratic parlance. He attributed the predicament to farmers’ reluctance in maintaining cows beyond their milk-yielding prime. Singh highlighted the government’s concerted effort, a month-long drive that saw the relocation of a staggering 2.61 lakh stray cattle to designated cowsheds. However, he lamented that the zealous efforts of these cattle-retrieval teams were often thwarted by local residents, demanding the release of captured animals.
Expressing palpable discontent with the minister’s rejoinder, SP MLAs staged a theatrical exit from the legislative chamber, their voices echoing with slogans of dissent against the state government.
Shifting the focus to the realm of government employment, another SP luminary, Lalji Verma, raised a vociferous protest. He decried the alleged subversion of reservation benefits for OBCs and Dalits in the wake of the BJP government’s ascendancy to power. Verma singled out recruitment drives initiated by KGMU, asserting a glaring absence of reservation provisions for OBC and Dalit candidates on specific positions, with a disproportionate majority earmarked for general category candidates.
The contours of Verma’s indictment extended to RMLIMS, where he alleged a systemic failure in implementing reservation policies in recruitment processes. Despite an inquiry being ordered by the Minister of Medical Education, the recruitment juggernaut for doctors and teachers continued unabated. Verma further accused the recruitment process of being tainted by nepotism, with OBC and SC candidates being deemed unfit for positions while their general category counterparts assumed the coveted roles.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak took the rostrum to counter these accusations vehemently. He reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to reservation policies, casting aspersions on the SP’s integrity. Pathak contended that the previous SP regime had flouted quota policies, both in recruitment and parliamentary proceedings, thereby misleading the public on the matter.
The Deputy Chief Minister assured that a comprehensive investigation had been initiated, and the wheels of justice would ensure the implementation of reservation policies. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the BJP government’s steadfast commitment to upholding constitutional provisions regarding reservation in government jobs.
However, undeterred by these assurances, SP MLAs, in a final act of defiance, orchestrated a strategic withdrawal from the legislative assembly, their discontent etched on their faces and voiced through the echoes of their receding footsteps.