By Pradeep Kapoor
LUCKNOW: All is not well between BJP and coalition partners in Uttar Pradesh where Apna Dal and Nishad Party presidents expressed dissatisfaction on public platforms at the functioning of the Yogi Adityanath government.. Significantly ,Apna Dal (Sonelal Patel) leader and cabinet minister Ashish Patel publicly alleged threat to his life from STF (Special Task Force) of UP Police.
While addressing the party workers, Ashish Patel minister for technical education said as a part of the larger conspiracy, allegations of corruption were levelled against him and the department. Ashish Patel said the allegation of not implementing the reservation policy while promotion of 100 teachers and other corruption charges were levelled deliberately to derail the social justice work being pursued by his party and the department.
Ashish Patel said that all decisions in his department were transparent and senior officers were also involved and office of the chief minister was also informed. Apna Dal UP President said that allegations were levelled against him only while the names of other officers including Principle secretary education were left out. He further said that the study of the list of those who got promotion would reveal that justice was done to those persons from OBC category who had been deprived earlier.
Regarding the charges of corruption, Ashish Patel said he along with his wife Union Minister and national president of Apna Dal we’re willing to face any inquiry into their assets acquired by them after joining the politics.
Meanwhile elder sister of Anupriya Patel and leader of rival faction (Apna Dal kameravadi) MLA Pallavi Patel in alliance with Akhilesh Yadav repeated her charges against her brother in law Ashish Patel for not implementing reservation policy while giving promotion to 100 teachers in technical education department. Pallavi Patel also met UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath to seek STF inquiry into the charges of corruption against Minister Patel.
Union Minister Anupriya Patel and her husband and UP Minister Ashish Patel met BJP national president JP Nadda and sought his intervention into the alleged allegation and harassment being meted out to them in UP.
Another coalition partner is also not happy with the prevailing situation in UP. Cabinet Minister Sanjay Nishad also came out publicly in support of Apna Dal leader and Minister Ashish Patel. He told media that there were certain elements in UP who were hell bent to create confusion. He also alleged that the state bureaucracy should be blamed for the alleged harassment of coalition partners.
Earlier Sanjay Nishad had blamed BJP for not giving respect to coalition partners. He said that defeat of BJP was due to such arrogant behaviour in Lok Sabha elections.. He further said that if no corrective measures were taken early, it would be difficult for BJP in 2027 assembly polls.
Sanjay Nishad said BJP was not willing to give ticket or symbol to coalition partners. He also blamed BJP leaders and workers for defeat of Praveen Singh Nishad in Sant Kabir Nagar in elections.
Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav taking a dig on the situation said that tussle between coalition partners was result of ongoing confrontation between BJP leaders in Delhi and in Lucknow.
Not only coalition partners but BJP MLAs are also very upset with the protection to arrogant bureaucrats by the government. Eight BJP MLAs of Lakhimpur Kheri publicly said that that wanted immediate removal of SP police who was not willing to listen to local BJP leaders. They alleged that local SP was not looking into grievances of people.
BJP MLA from Loni in Ghaziabad alleged apprehension of his murder for raising the issue of cow slaughter and large-scale corruption in his district. He further said that he had met UP CM Yogi Adityanath in the company of other party MLAs but no action was taken against corrupt officers. (IPA Service)
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