Half the UP ministers on foreign tour face criminal charges

Some have been charged for rape and rioting, SP leader Azam Khan has as many as five cases against him

They are going with the aim to study ways of strengthening India's parliamentary system. But, half the 14 Uttar Pradesh members of legislative Assembly (MLAs) on a seven-nation study tour have criminal cases against them. Some have been charged for rape, rioting and using force to deter public servants from doing their duty.

Azam Khan, urban development minister and MLA from Rampur on a Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket, has five criminal cases against him. These include two charges related to intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and two charges related to rioting. He has been convicted on one charge relating to cheating, one charge relating to rioting, etc.

Raghuraj Pratab Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, an independent MLA and food and civil supplies minister, has eight criminal cases against them. These include charges related to attempt to murder, kidnapping, dacoity and illegal payments in connection with an election. He has been convicted in nine other cases.

The other MLAs on the tour with criminal cases against them include Bhagwat Saran Gangwar, Manoj Paras, Irfan Solanki, Munendra Shukla and Seema Dwivedi. Paras, an SP MLA, has charges related to rape against him. During the 18-day trip, the ministers are visiting Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Italy, The Netherlands, the UK and the UAE. The tour is being led by Khan. The trip has been organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. However, except the UK, none is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey and CLP leader Pradeep Mathur had opted out of the tour.