NEWS

The Samajwadi Party and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party on Wednesday struck an alliance to counter the ruling BJP in next year's Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

The announcement was made by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and SBSP president Om Prakash Rajbhar at a massive rally held in Mau, thronged by supporters of both the parties. As the field where the public meeting was taking place teemed with red and yellow caps, reflecting the colours of the two parties, Akhilesh Yadav took a dig at the central and state governments.

"With the union of lal (red) and peela (yellow) here, you know who is turning 'lal-peela' (furious) in Delhi and Lucknow," jibed Akhilesh Yadav.

The Uttar Pradesh government has defended its anti-conversion law in its affidavit before the Allahabad high court, stating that "since marriage is being used as an instrument to convert an individual's religion against his/her will, the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 seeks to remedy the malady".

Following a direction of the high court, the UP government filed the affidavit in response to a bunch of PILs challenging the Act.

Significantly, while stressing that the community interest will always prevail over the individual interest, the UP government has added that the law in challenge seeks to protect public interest and maintain public order, and safeguards the interest of the community.

The state government today announced a ban on the manufacturing and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco for a year.

According to a notification issued by the state health and family welfare department, the ban will come into effect from 7 November 2021. The notification stated that the decision has been taken keeping in mind the health of the people.

The commissioner of food safety is empowered under Section 30 of the food safety and standards act, 2006 to impose such a ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of any article of food in the entire state, the notification stated.

NCP spokesperson and skill development minister Nawab Malik on Tuesday said that Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray will soon write to PM Narendra Modi on NCB's "excesses".

"I had a brief meeting with the chief minister and Maharashtra home minister Dilip Walse Patil on the recent NCB raids. I briefed them on the NCB's excesses and how it conducted fake and fabricated raids. The CM expressed concern over the threat to the entire Bollywood industry following NCB's raids. The Bollywood industry provides jobs to over one lakh people. I brought it to the notice of the CM that the NCB has conducted a media trial of at least 25 leading actors in the name of their interrogation for alleged involvement in drug peddling," Malik said. On the affidavit filed by witness Prabhakar Sail, who had alleged that there was a Rs 25 crore deal, Malik said it was a serious matter and needs a high-level probe by law-enforcing agencies.