Khanpur MlA and Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation chairman Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ has accused the Transport and Social Welfare Minister Surendra Rakesh of the Bahujan Samaj Party of being mired in corruption. Stating that Rakesh, who is also the Bhagwanpur MlA, had released all funds under welfare schemes for minorities and scheduled caste persons only to his own constituency, Singh demanded that Rakesh should be replaced by Manglaur MlA Sarwat Karim Ansari of the BSP. He also said that a public interest litigation is being drafted against the Minister.
Addressing media persons in Dehradun on Tuesday, the Congress MlA from Khanpur said that he had also written a letter to the AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi stating that blatant corruption by Rakesh was harming the image of the Congress in Uttarakhand which could result in defeat on all five lok Sabha seats in Uttarakhand in the coming general elections.
“Exploiting coalition politics and by claiming that he and BSP MlA from Jhabrera, Hari Dass will join the Congress, Rakesh is indulging in blatant corruption. While he himself is involved with the land mafia, his brother owns many buses which operate illegally in the MlA’s constituency. Already, people are apprehensive about supporting the Congress in Haridwar due to Rakesh. I have requested the AICC vice president to look into this issue to prevent damage to the party while stating that Ansari should replace Rakesh in the State cabinet. PCC chief and Cabinet Minister Yashpal Arya is SC and as there is no Cabinet Minister from the minorities, Ansari should be inducted into the cabinet in place of Rakesh. Rakesh interferes in the work of three Congress MlAs in the Haridwar parliamentary constituency and by diverting all Social Welfare Department works to his constituency, he is violating the constitutional criterion of collective responsibility of the Cabinet,” said Singh, adding that he will meet Rahul Gandhi during his Rudrapur visit on Wednesday and raise this issue.
He said that due to the constraints of coalition politics, CM Vijay Bahuguna is unable to act against Rakesh. Responding to reports about the PCC chief Yashpal Arya talking about disciplinary action against Singh, he said, “I don’t mind because I am in the right. In any such action is taken I will provide the required explanation,” he added.
Shooting incident: ‘Champion’ claims he is innocent
When asked about the shooting incident at the home of Cabinet Minister Harak Singh Rawat, UFDC chairman Pranav Singh ‘Champion’ maintained that he was innocent. “If the Assembly Speaker has said that he saw me shooting, he should register his statement under Section 161. In the past when the then CM BC Khanduri has arrived in the birthday party of my daughter, I had fired eight rounds above his head. About 150 persons had witnessed this, but nothing
happened,” he said while reiterating that he had not fired at the Cabinet Minister’s home as was being alleged.