Controversy over tainted minister Gyatri Prajapati took a curious turn when Governor Ram Naik questioned Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as why State Transport minister Gayatri Prasad Prajapati was continuing in the state cabinet despite a non-bailable warrant being issued against him and he is on the run.
In a letter Governor asked as why the minister was not sacked so far even as FIR was registered against the minister and six others for gang rape of a woman and her daughter,
“As a Constitutional head of the state it is my duty to ensure there is no breakdown in the law. When a NBW has been issued against a minister he has no right to continue in the state cabinet. CM should explain as why Gayatri was not removed from the council of minister with mentioning the reason,” Naik said.
The governor in his letter also mentioned that as per the statement of the CM he said that Gayatri should surrender immediately. Despite that statement the said minister has not surrendered and there is now an apprehension that he could escape to some foreign country.
“Charge of gang rape against a minister is very serious and government’s inaction is unfortunate,” he said.
Earlier UP BJP had raised question that why the minister was not sacked after issuance of NBW and lookout notice. BJP general secretary Vijay Bahadur Pathak in a statement questioned CM and held him responsible for giving shelter to Gayatri.
“UP CM talks about Dial-100 where police reaches the incident spot in 15 minutes but what happened in Gayatri case .Police still grappling for the past fortnight. What happened to that Dail 100 system,” he asks.
Gayatri went missing after elections in Amethi on February 27 even though UP police did not take action against him after lodging of a FIR of gang rape under POSCO Act on February 17 on the directives of the Supreme Court.
CM Akhilesh Yadav too campaigned in favour if Gayatri in Amethi after FIR was registered against him.