Samajwadi Party MLC and former minister Swami Prasad Maurya has demanded an unconditional apology from the commissioner of police of Gautam Buddha Nagar for dragging his name in the case of Srikant Tyagi whose state secretariat entry pass is alleged to have been made on his recommendation.
Maurya said here on Friday that he would file a defamation suit against the police commissioner if he failed to tender an apology.
"I had no role in the secretariat entry pass being issued to Srikant Tyagi; it is none other than the commissioner of police who is behind the pass being issued to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader. The police commissioner, by taking my name, has deliberately tried to malign my image," Swami Prasad Maurya said here on Friday.
Maurya was a minister in Yogi Adityanath's previous government. He had resigned from the cabinet ahead of the UP Assembly elections held in March this year and had joined the Samajwadi Party.
The SP leader alleged that the police commissioner was acting at the behest of his political masters in the ruling party to malign his image.
"I want to tell the BJP leaders that it is a despicable act to run misinformation campaign against the opposition leaders and they should refrain from this act otherwise people will give a befitting reply to the ruling party," Maurya said.
Alleging political vendetta, Maurya said, "Ever since I joined the Samajwadi Party I have been framed in three fake cases. Earlier, the Special Task Force of UP police claimed someone as my private secretary who had allegedly taken bribes for job in a government department."
Maurya said the police commissioner dragging his name in the secretariat pass issue had turned out to be false. He alleged that the BJP was determined to neutralise all its political rivals.
Maurya said the credentials of Srikant Tyagi had been established beyond doubt -- that he is a BJP leader -- and his photos with top BJP leaders including BJP president JP Nadda, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and other senior BJP leaders had appeared in electronic media and other platforms, yet the BJP was trying to frame its political rivals.