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Samajwadi Party's Pooja Pal meets UP CM Yogi Adityanath
17 Aug 2025

Expelled Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Pooja Pal met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday.

The meeting comes days after she was ousted from the party for praising Adityanath during a UP Assembly session.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav expelled Pal for alleged anti-party activities and serious indiscipline, citing her continued defiance of party directives.

'Ms' in expulsion letter draws flak
Controversial wording

The expulsion letter, signed by Yadav, addressed Pal as "Ms" instead of "Mrs," which has drawn criticism.

Rebel SP MLA Rakesh Pratap Singh slammed the SP chief for this choice of words, calling it an insult to women's power.

He argued that using "Ms" undermines Pal's identity as a married woman and widow, especially after her husband's tragic murder just nine days after their marriage.

What did Pal say about Adityanath
Praise for CM

Pal had praised Adityanath's zero-tolerance policy against crime during a UP Assembly session.

She thanked him for giving her justice and hearing her when no one else did.

"The CM gave justice to many other women like me in Prayagraj by bringing in policies like zero tolerance that led to the killing of criminals like Atiq Ahmed," she said.

Controversy linked to murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal
Murder connection

The controversy is also linked to the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, who was shot dead by gangster Atiq Ahmed and his associate.

Umesh Pal, a key witness in the case, was also killed in February 2023.

Despite her expulsion from SP, Pal remained firm in her stance on supporting Adityanath for justice delivered to women victims of crime.

SP Chief Whip reacts to Pal's remarks
Internal criticism

SP Chief Whip Kamaal Akhtar also criticized Pal's remarks, calling them personal.

He said she should have left the party earlier if she disagreed with its direction.

The expulsion of Pal has sparked a political controversy over her statements in support of Adityanath and also over how the expulsion was communicated.