HC reserves order on PIL against induction of sacked minister

Prajapati was sacked by Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, on September 12 to refurbish the party's image before elections

The Allahabad High Court has reserved its order on a petition filed against the re-induction of the Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, Gayatri Prajapati, in the Uttar Pradesh Council of Ministers.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale and Justice Rajan Roy reserved its order on October 4 after hearing the arguments of social activist Nutan Thakur's counsel, Asok Pande, and the state Advocate General, Vijay Bahadur Singh, who opposed the petition.

The petition claimed that Prajapati was removed as Minister on charges of corruption charges after the Allahabad High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry.

As per Thakur, when Prajapati was removed from his post, he had lost faith as a governor and hence, cannot be re-inducted into the ministry.

Opposing the petition, the AG contended that it was liable to be dismissed as the re-induction of Prajapati was as per legal provisions.

Prajapati was sacked by Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, on September 12, in what was seen as an effort to refurbish the image of the state government before the elections.

The action triggered a political crisis within the Yadav clan and later SP supremo, Mulayam Singh Yadav, announced Prajapati's re-induction, who was finally taken back into the cabinet on September 26.

Prajapati was mired in controversy for alleged corruption in the mining department as a minister. He is presently holding the transport department.