Amid Opposition’s charges of the Samajwadi Party Government being insensitive towards the riot victims who are forced to brave the icy cold winds in Muzaffarnagar camps, a delegation of 17 legislators, including eight Ministers went on an 18-day study tour to five countries from Wednesday.
The Uttar Pradesh Government has sanctioned Rs 1 crore for this trip.
The tour has come on a time when Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is facing criticism over spending crores of public money in dance and dramas organised in a 15-day long Mahotsava organised in Saifai — the native place of Yadav clan. Bollywood divas, foreign dancers and singers presented cultural shows in the Mahotsava where curtains came down on Wednesday. It is not known as how much was spent in this cultural extravaganza but sources claim it is not less than Rs 100 crore.
The team headed by Urban Development Minister Mohammad Azam Khan comprises other Ministers including Revenue Minister Ambika Chowdhury, Tourism Minister Om Prakash Singh, Science and Technology Minister Abhishek Mishra, Small scale Industries Minister Bhagwat Saran Gangwar, Textile Minister Shiv Kumar Beriya and Basic Education Minister Yogesh Pratap Singh. Former Minister, controversial legislator Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya and Principal Secretary of Vidhan Sabha Pradeep Dubey are also the part of the delegation.
Sources say the CM was to lead this delegation but he cancelled the tour at the last minute fearing Opposition’s backlash. Similarly, Assembly Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey and Congress legislator party leader Pradeep Mathur were earlier slated to be the part of the delegation but they too withdrew their names in the last minute for reasons best known to them.
The delegation has seven legislators from ruling Samajwadi Party, and one each from BJP and Rashtriya lok Dal.The delegation would be visiting Turkey, Netherlands, (Hague and Amsterdam), United Kingdom, Greece and UAE. The trip is a part of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) initiative.