In UP Assembly, Opposition attacks govt on PETN, Yogi Adityanath says ‘at least we’re alert’

“It has come out that it was not an explosive. So, how was the statement given without proper inquiry by any agency? The Lucknow lab does not even investigate explosives. Even the website of UP Police clearly mentions that Agra laboratory is the only lab in UP that can test explosives,” Chaudhary said.

Also Read: Lab wrongly confirmed PETN was found in UP Assembly: State FSL chief told to retire after panel doubts integrity 

Quoting the statement given by Adityanath in the Assembly on July 14, Chaudhary said “people want to know that why members of this House were humiliated”. As the alleged explosive was found under the Opposition benches, soon it would have been implied that “vipaksha atankwadi gatividhion mein lipta hai (Opposition is involved in terror activities)”, he claimed.

While Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna denied that anyone was humiliated, he said the government has acted against the officer who had given the report. The Opposition, however, went on to ask why an initial report was sought from the lab, which was not equipped to test explosives. “There would be no compromise with security and if required, there would be investigation as well as interrogations in future,” said Khanna. Following this, SP MLAs, including Azam Khan and Shivpal Yadav, trooped into the Well of the House, raising slogans like ‘gundagardi nahi chalegi… tana shahi nahi chalegi’. The House was adjourned for 50 minutes. When the House reassembled, Chaudhary again asked: “If there was some information… why was it (test) not conducted by laboratories that are authorised to do such investigation.”

Congress Legislature Party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu, too, said: “…The head of a state gave a statement without any forensic test and without keeping dignity of the Assembly in mind… an atmosphere of fear was created by the statement of the chief minister and he should take back his words…” BSP Legislature Party leader Lalji Verma questioned why the announcement of the recovery of the suspicious looking substance came from the government instead of Speaker Hriday Narayan Dikshit.

Adityanath, who came to the House after it reassembled, said that before addressing the Assembly on July 14, he had taken up the issue in the all-party meeting. Advising Congress’ Ajay Kumar Lallu not to forget the decorum of the House, he said: “Haar bahut buri cheez hoti hai… (Losing is a bad thing).” “Instead of issues, personal attacks are being made… the respect of the House is lowered when Opposition throws paper balls on the Governor and indulge in whistling… Is the respect of an individual more important than that of the entire House… it was our moral responsibility and we did what was expected of us…,” he added.

Recalling the attack on Parliament, Adityanath said: “What if the recovered substance was actually PETN… explosions do not wait for anyone.” “Mana PETN nahi nikla lekin satarkta to hai… (Though it was not PETN, at least this shows that the government is alert),” he added. Accusing the SP for leaving BJP with a “weak system”, the CM said: “There is no need to do politics… ours is a policy of zero tolerance on the issue of security.” Maintaining that Upadhyay was given the charge as the FSL director by the previous SP government, he said: “The government had no option but to take preliminary report from the existing system…”