Seeking legal opinion to free court blast accused, says UP CM

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The Uttar Pradesh government has sought legal opinion to withdraw terror cases against accused of November 23, 2007 serial blast case in Faizabad and Lucknow court premises, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said.

Based on the promises made in election manifesto, that freedom would be granted to 'falsely implicated' Muslim youths under terror charges, we have sought legal opinion for the release of the accused of November 2007 serial blast case of Faizabad and Lucknow court premises, Yadav said here.

Khalid Mujahid, Tariq Qasmi, Sajjadur Rehman and Akhtar are the accused for whom a legal opinion has been asked for.

"The government is fully dedicated to its manifesto and those Muslim youths who are arrested under false terror charges will be released soon," said the chief minister.

The Special Task Force had arrested two of the alleged HUJI militants, Tariq Qasmi and Khalid Mujahid, near Barabanki railway station in December 2007.

Yadav was in Faizabad to attended the reception party of local SP MLA Tej Narain Pandey, who won Ayodhya assembly seat.

Earlier on April 4, SP spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury had said, "Chief Minister has decided to bring in a bill to revoke cases lodged against innocent Muslim youths in the name of their involvement in terrorist activities and also to give them compensation for their arrest."

Reacting on Mayawati's threat of consequences if the statues from the parks are removed, Akhilesh said government is not going to remove any statue, in fact schools, colleges and hospitals would be established on the empty lands of the parks.

When asked about the allegations of illegal mining in the state, Yadav said the government is taking steps on such complaints, and CCTV cameras would be installed at such areas to keep check over it.

Addressing party workers in Faizabad, Yadav also promised of granting the status of tourism city to Ayodhya and Faizabad apart from declaring the twin cities as Municipal Corporation by joining Ayodhya and Faizabad municipal boards.

After renaming Rahul Gandhi's constituency Amethi from Chatrapati Sahuji Maharaj Nagar to its original name Amethi now it is the time for Ambedkar Nagar, he said.

Yadav, reacting on the demand of senior Samajwadi Party leader Jai Shankar Pandey of converting the district's name from Ambedkar Nagar to Lohiya Nagar, said the government will soon take decision in this matter.

Being the birthplace of great socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohiya, SP leaders have always demanded that this district should be in name of Ram Manohar Lohiya.

Reacting on the reports of selling of new born babies of poor families from government hospitals, in which nurses and doctors were found involved, Yadav said he will look into the matter.

"If anything of the sort is found, we will ask the district administration to help the families," he said.

The chief minister also promised to ask the district administration to help in the investigations and contact the concerned families.