Lucknow,
Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik today cleared the way for the withdrawal of a case against CM Yogi Adityanath and 12 more, giving his assent to the controversial Uttar Pradesh Criminal Law (Composition of Offences and Abatement of Trials (Amendment) Bill, 2017.




The Governor approved eight Bills passed during the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha, including the one that seeks to withdraw 20,000 so-called politically motivated cases filed across the state.

The 22-year-old case was filed at Gorakhpur’s Pipiganj police station on May 27, 1995, for holding a public meeting in violation of prohibitory orders. Besides Yogi, among the other accused are BJP Rajya Sabha MP and Union Minister of State for Finance Shiv Pratap Shukla and the BJP MLA from Sahjanwa in Gorakhpur Sheetal Pandey.




Gorakhpur is Yogi’s home turf. He represented the Lok Sabha constituency for five terms before being appointed CM earlier this year. Then the local MP, Yogi allegedly made a hate speech following the killing of a Hindu youth in a group clash during a Muharram procession. He was arrested and spent 10 days in jail.

In May last year, shortly after he took over the reins of the state, his government told the Allahabad High Court that he could not be prosecuted in another case for allegedly making a hate speech that was said to have triggered communal riots in Gorakhpur in 2007.




The Governor also gave his approval to the UP Prayagraj Mela Authority, Allahabad, Bill 2017 aimed at providing better arrangements for the Maha Kumbh, Kumbh, Magh and other ‘melas’ at the Sangam in Allahabad.