Uttar Pradesh governor, Ram Naik on March 5 asked UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav as to why was state Transport Minister, Gayatri Prajapati who is currently facing rape charges is still a member of the cabinet. The UP governor wrote to Akhilesh Yadav saying that Prajapati still being a minister raises some serious questions.
He further told Akhilesh Yadav that with Prajapati refusing to oblige his orders, the Cabinet was being portrayed in a bad light while asking the Chief Minister to explain his reason for still having Prajapati in the cabinet.
Meanwhile, the police are currently making efforts to nab Prajapati who is absconding. Supreme Court on February 17 ordered registration of FIR against the minister in a gang rape and sexual harassment case. The victim had approached the apex court after the UP police allegedly refused to register an FIR against the SP leader.
According to the 35-year-old victim, Prajapati raped her three years ago and took her obscene photos on the pretext of giving her a position in Samajwadi Party. He also threatened to release the photos in public if she filed a complaint against him. She also alleged that the minister also sexually assaulted her daughter.
Reacting to the Supreme Court order, Prajapati exclaimed that this FIR was a conspiracy deployed by the BJP to show him in a bad light. “I respect orders of the Supreme Court, but this case is a BJP conspiracy against me. Truth will be out soon,” Prajapati had said.
Prajapati scripted history in 2012 elections by becoming the first ever SP MLA to win from Amethi, the constituency which is known as the bastion of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. This time too, Prajapati is contesting assembly election from Amethi as a Samajwadi party candidate.
