The newly elected members of the urban local bodies of the Bahujan Samaj Party and Bharatiya Janata Party in Aligarh and Varanasi clashed over the recitation of Vande Matram during ahead of the ceremony of administering oath of office to the mayors and ward members. In Allahabad the members of the Samajwadi party, Bahujan Samaj party and independents boycotted the oath ceremony in protest against the Rs saffronisation’ of the function at the behest of the ruling party at the State.
On Tuesday the 16 newly elected mayors, 1,300 corporators, 198 chairman of nagar palika parishad, 438 chairman of nagar panchyat and ward members took oath of office across the state. In Meerut where the Bahujan Samaj party won the mayoral elections. The mayor Sunita Verma refused to sing the Vande matram before the oath ceremony. The BJP corporations enraged over the refusal of the mayor raised the slogan in favour of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Vande mataram. The BSP members countered the slogan shouting by raising the slogans of Jai Bhim and in support of the Bahujan Samaj party chief Maywati.
The BJP members recited the Vande mataram and alleged that the BSP mayor kept sitting while they recited the national song. Police and PAC had to be summoned by the district administration at the venue of oath taking ceremony to maintain the order. The BJP members tore the hoardings of the BSP installed outside the office of the Meerut nagar Nigam. During the tenure of the previous mayor of Meerut Harikant Ahliwalia of the BJP, the elected board of the nagar nigam had adopted a resolution making the recitation of the National song mandatory before the beginning of the proceedings of the house. The newly elected BSP mayor however refused to abide by the resolution adopted by the mayor saying “it was not constitutionally mandated and members will only sing the national anthem’’. Bahujan Samaj party has won the seat of mayor defeating the BJP. The BSP has also won the seat of mayor of Aligarh. Out of total 16 Nagar nigam, the BJP has won 14 seats of mayor and BSP won on two seats.
In Aligarh also where the Furkan Ahmed of the BSP was elected as mayor faced strong protest by the BJP corporators over the singing of the Vande mataram. The BJP members protested over conducting the oath ceremony without the recitation of the National song Vande matram. The BJP members raised slogan of Jai Shri Ram while the BSP members counters the slogan by raising Allah O Akbar. The district administration of Aligarh amidst the din and slogan shouting completed the process of administering the oath of office to the mayor and corporators. The BJP corporators also protested over a BSP corporator taking oath of office in Urdu.
In Varanasi, also the Lok Sabha constituency of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the newly elected BJP mayor Mridula Jaisawal declared that from now on every meeting of the elected nagar nigam would commence after the recitation of the Vande Matram. She also appealed all the corporators to raise the slogan of Bharat mata Ki jai. She had to administered oath of office twice by the divisional commissioner as she mis spelt the prepared text of the oath of office.
The corporators of Allahabad nagar nigam of the Samajwadi party, BSP and the independents boycotted the oath taking ceremony alleging that the BJP has monopolised the function and it was saffron all around. The newly elected members also staged protest demonstration.
In Ayodhya-Faizabad, upgraded as nagar nigam few months before the elections of the urban local body by the Yogi Adityanath government the oath ceremony was peaceful. The ceremony was held at Ram Katha Park in Ayodhya. The saints and seers of Ayodhya also participated in large numbers in ceremony.
In a tragic incident in Bareilly, Mohammed Usman, ward member of Khairiya Nizawat Khan Nagar panchyat died of cardiac arrest on Tuesday. He was the third term ward member. He was a tea vendor in the town.
Though 45 percent of the BJP candidates for the post of chairman of nagar palika parishad, nagar panchyat and ward members lost their security deposits in the elections of the urban local bodies, the BJP claimed landslide victory in the elections as it won the mayoral election in 14 out of total 16 nagar nigam.