Akhilesh Yadav sacks two ministers on charges of corruption

Lucknow: UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, on Monday, dismissed two ministers from his cabinet, allegedly on charges of corruption. The ministers who have been dismissed are Gayatri Prajapati, minister for mining and Raj Kishore Singh, minister for Panchayati Raj.

Letters in this regard have been sent to Raj Bhawan, a senior official said. The dismissal of Gayatri Prajapati, said to be close to Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav and his younger son Prateek Yadav, comes days after the Allahabad High Court rejected the state government’s plea to withdraw an order for CBI inquiry into allegations of illegal mining in the state.

Mr Gayatri Prajapati , who belongs to Amethi, was said to be mired in controversy over illegal mining in the state which is reported to be to the tune of Rs 4,000 crores per month.

The Allahabad High Court, on July 28, had directed the CBI to investigate the matter across the state, including the role of government officials in facilitating the same, and submit a report within six weeks.

The HC on September 9 had also rejected an application by the state government for withdrawal of its order. The dismissal of the minister is a move by the government to save itself from the inquiry and let the  sacked minister face the music.  

Mr Akhilesh Yadav, a source said, was upset with Mr Prajapati but could not act against him due to his proximity with the SP president. The dismissal of the minister is also likely to cause a strain on the Yadav clan too. Illegal mining in the state has been rampant ever since the Akhilesh government came to power. IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal was also suspended when she tried to stop illegal mining in Greater Noida and the issue led to national outrage.