In an attempt to come clean of the controversy Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav dropped two ministers - Agriculture Minister Anand Singh and Minister of state for Stamp and Registration Manoj Paras - with immediate effect.
Chief Minister decided to drop Paras from the cabinet after Government’s attempt to drop rape cases against the minister was challenged in the court. A 34-year old woman had charged that Paras had raped him in Bijnore three years back. In January this year Home secretary wrote a letter to DM, Bijnore asking him to drop charges but the aggrieved person decided to move court. "This had become a poll issue and so come clean Chief Minister decided to drop Paras," he said.
In the other case action against Anand Singh was expected after his son Kirtivardhan Singh had joined BJP two days back. What aggravated situation for Singh was the statement of his son that Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s office used to take money to allow people to meet CM. This allegation has given a dent to the image of Chief Minister. A highly placed source said that Chief Minister spoke to Anand Singh and showed his annoyance over the statement of his son. "Two family members joining two political parties is not new in Indian politics. But it had never happened that personal attack of such intensity has been made," a senior minister told The Pioneer here on Sunday.
A few days back Samajwadi Party national president Mulayam Singh Yadav had said that those people who have betrayed the party will not be allowed to remain minister. When he said this Anand Singh was sharing dias with Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. What Mulayam said was implemented by his son on Sunday. Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhry said that the allegations leveled against Chief Minister were wrong. Hundreds of people meet Yadav daily. He meets some of them at night. It is wrong to say that CM is inapproachable. "This statement by a leader who recently left us to join our rivals was an attempt to malign the image of Chief Minister," he said.
Chaudhry, who is also Jail development minister in the Government, said that the progress made by the state in last two years was unparallel. Progress has been made in all sectors including agriculture, education, health, irrigation and dairy. Efforts are on to make Uttar Pradesh as Power sufficient state and by 2017 we will have enough power to meet our needs, he said
The Samajwadi Party has termed the ' chai pe charcha' organised by the BJP for their Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on the Women's day as a political stunt to woo the voters. "It is nothing but a drama," Chaudhry said. Meanwhile, SP general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav has also termed the tea party of Gujarat Chief Minister as merely a ' Nautanki' and claimed that the BJP is losing its popularity so, they were holding such programmes.