By IANS,
Lucknow : The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Friday asked Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to drop cabinet colleague Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya as he symbolises the “goonda (goon) raaj” in the state.
BSP state unit chief Swamy Prasad Maurya told reporters that Raja Bhaiyya’s continuance was untenable as a public interest litigation (PIL) was pending against him in the Supreme Court.
Calling Raja Bhaiyya the mastermind in the multi-crore food grain scam during the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in 2003-07, Maurya said now with Samajwadi Party (SP) government back in power with a majority for a full term, he could only wonder how many more scams would take place.
Raja Bhaiyya faces eight criminal cases including one under the now-defunct Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA).
Inducted into the Akhilesh Yadav cabinet, he holds charge of the prisons and of the food and civil supplies departments. Raja Bhaiya won from Kunda seat of Pratapgarh district.