JOIN USThe expulsion comes close on the heels of Kushwaha’s letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mayawati, the UP governor and the High Court chief justice, in which the former family welfare minister had raised concern over threats to his life from some bureaucrats and party leaders. Kushwaha had also sought additional security.
Kushwaha was sacked from office after being implicated in the murder of two chief medical officers in broad daylight in Lucknow and the mysterious death of a deputy CMO inside the Lucknow jail.
The funds under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) are looked after by the Family Welfare department once headed by Kushwaha. His role in the NRHM scam is currently being probed by the CBI. He is also facing a Lokayukta probe.
Maurya accused Kushwaha of “hobnobbing” with opposition parties to “destabilise” the government and get a reprieve in the CBI probe.
Yet another minister in the Mayawati cabinet has been indicted by the Lokayukta in corruption charges.
Minister for Ambedkar Village Development, Ratanlal Ahirwar, was found guilty of getting a school constructed on a government land and misappropriating Rs 29 lakh from his MPLAD funds. “Lokayukta has sent a report to the chief minister and recommended Ahirwar’s removal from the cabinet,” sources here said on Monday, adding that the reports are expected to reach Chief Minister Mayawati’s office by Tuesday.
Six ministers have been removed from the UP cabinet following their indictment on varied charges like misuse of MPLAD funds, grabbing government properties and panchayat lands and murder.
Several other ministers are facing probe by the Lokayukta, according to sources.