Yogi Government Slaps 7 Sedition Cases On Former IAS Officer For Tweeting About Floating Dead Bodies In Ganges

Akhilesh Tripathi| India Tomorrow

SRINAGAR— Under fire for mishandling the COVID crisis, chief minister Yogi Adityanath government has slapped seven sedition cases against former IAS officer Surya Pratap Singh for tweeting about the bodies floating in the Ganga river.

Three cases have been registered in Lucknow and three in other districts. Balia police have registered one more case against the former IAS officer. 

Allahabad high court, however, has restrained the police from arresting Surya Pratap Singh. Despite that, police raided his residence and questioned him at Lucknow. “I am being framed under the directions of UP government,” he said.

UP has been the worst hit by COVID 19. Even before the second wave could sweep across the state, Yogi was tested positive. Later deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and his wife too were tested positive. Another deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and his wife stayed out of the public gaze fearing COVID.

Yogi isolated himself in CM’s house and the officers were entrusted to tackle the COVID crisis in the state. Yogi’s close confidante and additional chief secretary, home, Avinash Awasthi and Navneet Sehgal were running the show.

Shortage of medicines, ventilators, ambulances ICU beds, and oxygen beds added to the chaos. The pandemic went out of control and people were left to fend for themselves. Mothers lost sons, husbands lost wives, sons lost parents, brothers lost sisters and the dance of death continued in UP.

A picture of a woman trying to resuscitate her husband by breathing into his mouth in Agra shook the entire country. Despite her efforts, she could not save her husband. The oxygen crisis claimed so many lives including her husband.

In Faizabad, a son waited for the ambulance to shift his mother to the hospital, but it did not come. As a result, she passed away. Likewise, an old man was forced to carry her dead wife on a bicycle because the ambulance was not available.

When Yogi resumed his duties after testing negative, it was too late. Officials claimed that Yogi tried hard to control the pandemic but due to a shortage of medicines, ventilators, ambulances ICU beds and oxygen beds, he could not succeed.

A large number of people died of COVID in UP. Even crematoriums were full to capacity, though the government claimed that the situation is under control.  Some crematoriums in Lucknow ran out of wood. Viral photos on social media showed people ferrying logs in electric rickshaws.

Facing criticism, the government fenced the crematoriums at Gomti River to hide the bodies. People had to wait for hours to cremate their dear ones. Such was the crisis that people cremated their loved ones on roadside and parks in a bid to give respect to the dead.

Yogi government tried to fudge data about the dead. But the death certificates issued in different districts exposed the government’s claims. The situation reached a dangerous pass when there was a shortage of firewood. Unable to cremate bodies, people dumped them in the Ganges. Some days later, the bodies started floating in the river. From Unnao to Rae Bareli, Kanpur, Balia and Buxar in Bihar, people dumped the bodies in the river.

This triggered a chain reaction prompting the Centre to ask the Yogi government to ban the dumping of bodies in the Ganges. UP ADGP (law and order) Prashant Kumar ordered the police to patrol the river banks round the clock.

After the ban, people started burying their dead near the river banks. However, the high-velocity winds swept away the covers which again exposed the Yogi government. The state government was again under the cloud.

Sources said one of the reasons for the Yogi government’s failure was wrong advice given by officers posted at key positions. It is believed Yogi blindly accepts their suggestions which often are not compatible with public sentiments. 

What complicated the matter was the order issued by the additional chief secretary in the Panchayati Raj department Manoj Kumar Singh. He asked every Gram Panchayat to pay Rs 5000 as cremation charges per body. Since Gram Panchayats have neither been sworn in nor have any financial powers, how would they shell out huge money for a cremation? Clamour is now growing that there should be a probe into Singh’s dealings.