UP CM sacks two ministers accused of graft

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday sacked Mining Minister Gayatri Prajapati and Panchayati Raj Minister of State Raj Kishore, an official said.

A letter recommending the sacking has been sent to governor Ram Naik for acceptance, a senior aide informed.

Prajapati faces a slew of serious corruption charges including kickbacks in mining contracts, land-grabbing and extortion while Kishore was accused of land-grabbing.

Prajapati was considered very close to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The move comes following the Allahabad High Court (HC) ordering a CBI probe into allegations of illegal mining in the state.

The state government had requested the court to withdraw its order of the CBI probe into the illegal mining charges but the court had refused to yield.

The court will hear the case again later on Monday.

Prajapati openly flaunted his property worth crores to people.

Senior IPS official Amitabh Thakur and his social activist wife Nutan Thakur, who launched a drive to expose the minister, were hounded and Amitabh was even allegedly threatened to back off by Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The threat was recorded on phone by the IPS officer and was placed before the courts.

Raj Kishore too has a tainted past and had been on radar of central government agencies for his acts of commission and sources say the Chief Minister did not want his image to be tainted by conduct of his ministers.

--IANS

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