BSP chief and former UP Chief Minister Mayawati might be in for a rough ride politically in the coming days as the noose is tightening around the necks of the nine ministers of her erstwhile Cabinet, who are being probed for alleged abuse of office.
The UP Police, which has completed its probe against the tainted former ministers, has sought permission from the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP Government for their arrest.
And the former ministers whose arrest was sought included Rakeshdhar Tripathi,Rangnath Mishra, Oudhpal Yadav, Badshah Singh, Nasimuddin Siddiqui, Ramvir Upadhyaya Chandradev Singh Yadav and Babu Singh Kushwaha (who subsequently crossed over to the SP and is already in jail over his alleged involvement in the NRHM scam), besides state BSP chief Ram Achal Rajbhar.
Most of them have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act for amassing wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income.
And the Vigilance Department has sought the state government’s nod for filing the chargesheets against Rangnath, Badshah and Oudhpal. Also, it has requested official clearance for registering FIRs against Nasimuddin, Ramvir, Rakeshdhar, Kushwaha and Chandradev.
Interestingly, Akhilesh, who also holds the Home portfolio, has been reportedly keeping tab on the probe against the tainted former ministers.
Addressing media here following Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said the government would soon take action against the former ministers. Moreover, he hinted at the possibility of other members of the erstwhile government being tried for abuse of office.
With the 2014 Lok Sabha elections just round the corner, the BSP could well be in trouble if its leaders were to be jailed by the SP Government. Mayawati also has had to contend with the apparent failure of the maiden public meeting convened by BSP’s Brahmin poster boy Satish Chand Mishra.
In fact, Satish suffered a blackout while addressing a BSP-sponsored convention of the Brahmins at Khalilabad on Saturday.
Former Health minister in the Mayawati Cabinet Anant Kumar Mishra, who is the brother of Satish, told Express that the former had been keeping well and would start his political tour very soon.