UP govt not acting against corrupt ministers to shield them: state Cong chief

Hitting out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over cases of alleged corruption, the Congress on Sunday claimed that no action being taken against the concerned ministers pointed towards the government's guilt.

UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, while accusing the state government of indulging in "organised loot", told PTI that corruption cannot take place in the state without the matter coming to the notice of the Chief Minister.

He said that in the case of investment of over Rs 2,600 crore of state power employees' provident fund money in scam-hit DHFL, action was initiated only against the junior level officers.

"Can these officers commit any fraud without the consent of the minister of the department and principal secretary? This is impossible," he said, asking why no action was being initiated against UP Energy Minister Shrikant Sharma.

"In a government where every scheme is sent to the Cabinet for approval, then how can decisions which form the basis of the corruption be taken without the matter coming to the Chief Minister's notice," Lallu said.

He claimed that owing to fear that a CBI probe in the matter will expose involvement of the minister and senior government officials, the government "out of fear" is yet to issue a recommendation letter for probe by the central agency.

Referring to the fraudulent withdrawal of salaries of Home Guards in the state, the UP Congress chief said the documents were set ablaze after a probe revealed that Rs 8 lakh was gobbled up in a district in the name of giving two months' salary to Home Guards personnel.

"This means that scam amounting to hundreds of crore of rupees must have taken place in the state," Lallu said, adding that a lenient attitude was being maintained towards the then Home Guards Minister Anil Rajbhar.

"The reality of the good governance slogan of the BJP is out before the public," he said.