Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is likely to face tough questions in the coming days for some of his ministers in the Cabinet facing criminal charges. With the Centre withdrawing the ordinance on convicted legislators, the election campaign is likely to put the focus on criminals in politics in UP.
A number of the ministers in the UPA Cabinet are alleged to be facing crimimal charges. Mr Yadav has defended his “tainted” ministers, with assertions that the charges against them were politically motivated. It’s alleged that the ministers in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet — Brahma Shankar Tripathi, Mehboob Ali, Arvind Kumar Singh, Vinod Singh, alias Pandit Singh — are facing criminal charges.
Additionally, K.C. Pandey, who is vice-chairman of Ganna Anusandhan Council and has status of a minister of state, also faces criminal charges. Ministers Pawan Pandey, Manoj Pandey — both considered close to the UP chief minister — and Rammurti Singh and Yogesh Pratap Singh are also allegedlyfacing criminal charges.
Vinod Singh, who was earlier asked to resign following his alleged involvement in the abduction and manhandling of the chief medical officer of Gonda, was reinducted as MoS recently, with the chief minister claiming that the charges against him were politically motivated.
Mr K.C. Pandey is accused of protecting a gang of cattle smugglers in the Gonda district. Incidentally, a PIL was filed in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court against Mr Pandey’s appointment, with the rank of the minister of state.
Another recently inducted minister, Mr Manoj Kumar Pandey, who is an MLA from Rae Bareli, allegedly has several criminal cases against his name.