Opposition in UP Assembly cornered the state government

The Opposition in UP Assembly cornered the state government over problems of stray animals, particularly cows and buffaloes, and demanded that the Yogi government bring about a law to counter the menace. The matter was raised through a question by SP member Manoj Kumar Pandey, who claimed that stray animals create much problem for farmers and other people as they destroy standing crop and were behind most road accidents.

"In UP alone, during the past one year, around 359 people were injured due to attack by stray animals," he said.

Replying to the question, Animal Husbandry minister SP Singh Baghel said as per government figure there are 5 crore animals in state-run gaushalas including 2 crore cows and 2 crore buffaloes. He said that the government has no figure of stray animals in the state. "The government is running 495 cow sheds in the state and was providing Rs 10 crore as grant to run these sheds annually," he stated. The minister also lauded Urban Development department for banning slaughter houses and announced that the government was committed to protecting cows in the state. But Opposition members, particularly from the SP, were on their toes, alleging that the government should announce when they banned slaughter then how was meat being sold in the state. 

However, the ruling BJP had to face some wrath from its own members when Ashok Chandel from Bundelkhand demanded  that a House Committee be set up to recommend ways on the problem of stray animals. The ruling BJP also faced embarrassment when its member Vimla Sokanki alleged that money and muscle power was being used in district and khestra panchayat elections and demanded that all panchayat polls be made direct.

Though Panchayat minister Bhupendra Choadhary refused to admit any irregularities in the ongoing by-elections and refused to consider the demand for direct elections in panchayats, the Treasury bench was shocked when the opposition supported the BJP member on her charges.

The matter was raised during Question Hour, when Solanki said that through the media she came to know how money and muscle power was being used in district panchayat chairman elections in Ferozabad.  "The matter is serious and the government should consider holding direct elections in these posts to eradicate irregularities," she suggested.