BJP, Cong leaders meet UP governor, demand justice for scribe

A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party leaders on Wednesday met Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik and submitted a memorandum demanding dismissal of Cabinet Minister Ram Murti Verma who is accused of orchestrating killing of a Shahjahanpur scribe.

“A delegation met Governor Ram Naik at Raj Bhavan and submitted a memorandum demanding dismissal of Verma for justifiable action,” BJP spokesperson Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

The delegation also included the BJP's state unit vice-president Shiv Pratap Shukla and spokesperson Harish Chandra Srivastava.

The memorandum stated that the deceased journalist Jagendra Verma had given his statement before the city magistrate on June 1 itself, the day he was allegedly set on fire by policemen, Pathak said.

The minister has been named in the FIR lodged by Jagendra's son and had been booked under IPC section 120B (criminal conspiracy) but since Ram Murti Verma still holds office the probe was not progressing and the scribe's family was on hunger strike demanding justice, he said.

“In the memorandum it has been stated that till the time Verma continues as minister justifiable action was not possible,” Pathak said adding it has also been pointed out that policemen, who were suspended earlier, have not been arrested so far.

The BJP has demanded that stern action should be taken against guilty and a financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh should be extended to Jagendra's family, the spokesperson said.

“The governor has assured that he will talk to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav over the issue,” he said. 

Congress meets governor, demands justice for scribe

A Congress delegation on Wednesday met Governor Naik and submitted a memorandum demanding immediate dismissal of Verma and a CBI inquiry into the case.

The delegation, led by senior leader Ram Kishan Dwivedi, drew attention of the Governor on "government patronage" to the minister and stressed that since an impartial inquiry in the case was not possible, it should be handed over to the CBI, a Congress release stated.

The delegation also demanded Rs 20 lakh should be given to the kin of slain Jagendra Singh and asked for security for all scribes in the state so that they can fearlessly raise issues concerning the common people.

The governor has assured prompt action in the case within the ambit of the Constitution, it added.

Journalist Jagendra Singh was allegedly set on fire by policemen on June 1 during a raid at his house at Vikas Colony in Sadar Bazar, Shahjahanpur. He died during treatment at a hospital in Lucknow on June 8.

The journalist had reportedly invited Verma's ire by posting reports on Facebook about illegal mining activities and land grabbing against the minister.

A video footage of dying declaration which went viral on news channels showed Singh saying, "Why did they have to burn me? If the minister and his goons had a grudge, they could have beaten me instead of pouring kerosene and burning me."