After Adityanath left, AC, sofa taken away from slain BSF trooper's home

The family members of slain BSF head constable Prem Sagar were befuddled when the Deoria district administration installed a window airconditioner, put up a sofa and carpet at their home ahead of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's visit this Friday.

They were in for even a greater shock when these trappings of affluence vanished within minutes of the chief minister's departure.

Sagar's family members said they were taken aback when the authorities removed the air conditioner, sofa and carpet soon after the chief minister left their place.

"Officials took away the carpet, sofa and AC soon after Adityanath left our residence....Within 15 to 30 minutes of his departure, everything was gone," Dayasagar, the brother of the fallen BSF trooper said.

There was, however, no official word on it.

The Deoria administration had installed airconditioners, put up new curtains, sofas and carpets in the living room where the chief minister was to meet the family.

A day before CM's visit, dusty roads in the village were cleaned and drains which always used to remain open were covered.

Head Constable Sagar was on patrol duty on May 1 along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch when Pakistan's Border Action Team (BAT) crossed the LoC and ambushed the patrol team. While taking cover, Sagar and Naik Subedar Paramjeet Singh of the Army were left behind.

They were killed and their bodies mutilated.

Sagar's family had refused to cremate his body, insisting that the chief minister visit them. They agreed to hold the last rites only after the chief minister spoke to them.

Adityanath visited Sagar's family on May 12 at his native village Tikampaar to offer condolences and presented a cheque for Rs 4 lakh. He also reportedly promised employment to Sagar's children after they complete their studies.

The chief minister said a shaheed smarak (martyr's memorial) and a girls inter college will be set up in the village in the memory of the slain trooper.

He also promised a road to connect the village to the main road.

With regard to a demand for a gas agency for the family, he had said a recommendation will be sent to the central government.

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UP Assembly polls: Now, astrologers predict outcome

UP Polls - With the Election Commission banning opinion polls from February 4, astrologers have taken to predicting the outcome of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls that begin on February 11.

Representing diverse interest groups, while one set of soothsayers has forecast an outright win for the "gathbandhan" (Congress-SP alliance), another set has vouched for the exact opposite.

Pramod Gautam, chairman of Vedic Sutram, told IANS: "Phoney pundits should stop distorting a much respected and time-tested science. We base our findings on authentic birth charts of the key players."

Pratik Pandey of Astrosage.com said: "These days so many fake astrologers have flooded the market that they have created a credibility crisis. People have begun suspecting this esoteric science."

Releasing his predictions, at a press conference on Tuesday, Gautam, whose earlier predictions on three occasions were proved correct, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "clearly the winner as his stars continue to be favourable". This, he said, should benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in UP.(Read More)