The Allahabad High Court has reserved its order on a petition filed against re-induction of controversial SP leader Gayatri Prajapati in the Uttar Pradesh Council of Ministers.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale and Justice Rajan Roy reserved its order yesterday after hearing petitioner, social activist Nutan Thakurs counsel Asok Pande and the State Advocate General Vijay Bahadur Singh, who opposed the petition.
The petition claimed that Prajapati was removed as Minister due to corruption charges after the Allahabad High Court ordered a CBI inquiry.
As per Thakur, when Prajapati was removed as minister, he had lost the pleasure of the Governor and hence, he cannot be re-inducted in the ministry unless reasons on which he had lost the pleasure of the Governor are addressed.
Opposing the petition, the AG contended that this petition was liable to be dismissed as it was not maintainable. He further said that re-induction of Prajapati was fully as per legal provisions.
Prajapati was sacked by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on September 12, in what was seen as an effort to refurbish the image of the state government before the elections.
The action triggered a political crisis within the Yadav clan and later SP supremo Mulayam announced Prajapatis re-induction and he was finally taken back in the cabinet on September 26.
Prajapati was mired in controversy for alleged corruption in the mining department as a minister. He is presently holding the Transport department.
( Source – PTI )
