Allahabad HC seeks records against Yogi in 2007 rioting case

Lucknow: The Allahabad high court on Thursday summoned UP chief secretary with the complete records and an affidavit pertaining to the 2007 case of rioting in Gorakhpur against chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

The chief secretary will appear in court on May 11. A division Bench comprising Justices Ramesh Sinha and Umesh Chandra Srivastava passed the order on a criminal writ petition by Gorakhpur-based social activist Parvez Parvaaz and advocate Asad Hayat.

On April 28, the court had taken up the petitioners’ amendment application as well as supplementary affidavit. The division Bench order had stated, “From a perusal of the record, it appears that the matter of sanction regarding prosecution of the accused persons is pending before the state government, and the question of grant of sanction for prosecution is to be decided by the head of the state government, who himself is a prime accused in the present FIR lodged by petitioner No. 1,”

The matter relates to January 27, 2007 when on the eve of the Assembly election, the then Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath and other members of his Hindu Yuva Vahini and elected representatives of the BJP triggered religion-based violence by allegedly delivering hate speeches during a Moharram procession. Violence erupted and the Gorakhpur district administration arrested Mr Adityanath and others.