Hon'ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh

Even before the blood had dried on the tracks following the attacks, Mulayam Singh Yadav worked hard to keep his beloved SIMI off the hook. Take a look at some of the stellar achievements of this student organization here and here. As you can see, even on the day of the attacks some SIMI members were being rounded up at another place in connection with a different event.

SIMI was founded on April 25, 1977. This organization spreads its tentacles from UP (perhaps even J&K) to Kerala. SIMI was first banned in 2001 under TADA, following communal riots in Kanpur. The ban was continued under POTA. Efforts were on to repeal the ban both from Mulayam camp and the center. However, a special tribunal upheld the ban in March '06. SIMI had sought reprive just 5 days before the blasts.

I guess whether SIMI is a terrorist organization is a moot point. As far as we can tell if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it is a duck.

Well, when various parties turned the heat on Mulayam, he immediately backtracked. So, what else is Mulayam up to these days?

1. He is busy pampering his henchmen for hundreds of crores, new bungalows etc.
2. He handed out dole to unemployed youth while simultaneously blasting the PM for playing favorites with Vidarbha farmers.
3. He requested the SC that his son and family members be allowed to file income and wealth tax in a sealed cover.
4. He is also developing a tourist spot.

Meanwhile, what a terrific performance his Government has exhibited in UP. Please peruse this article by none other than a Congress Rajya Sabha MP at your leisure.

Some highlights:

If 18-hour power cuts, collapse of law and order, stagnant industrial activity, rampant corruption, casteism and nepotism to the core can make a state Uttam Pradesh (best state), then Uttar Pradesh has definitely earned the distinction. The state government is spending crores on publicising it, but the average UPwallah is so infuriated of the ground realities that no number of full-page advertisements and giant-sized hoardings can turn red into rosy. As things stand today, there is a serious danger of UP turning into a rogue state.