Ministers, kin go on rampage in UP

Notwithstanding repeated warnings from Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, Uttar Pradesh ministers and the ruling party legislators continue to break the law with impunity.

SP leaders, their kin and supporters went on the rampage at two different places in the state on Saturday, assaulting officials and firing shots to forcibly occupy land injuring around a dozen people, according to police sources here.

Minister Raja Ram Pandey’s nephew Vinod Pandey, his supporters and SP leaders assaulted a family at Molnapur village in Pratapgarh district, about 160 km from here, and fired several rounds in the air to terrorise them and forcibly grab their land. Over a dozen people have sustained injuries in the attack, sources said.

Police said that it was investigating the matter.
In another incident, kin of Revenue Minister Ambika Chaudhary assaulted a health official in Ballia district, about 400 km from here on Saturday. Earlier also Chaudhary’s kin had attacked their political rivals in the district soon after the SP had formed the government after the Assembly polls.Barely two days back, a SP legislator had assaulted a senior doctor in Siddharth Nagar district and held him hostage for several hours. Minister for
Rehabilitation Vindo Singh was sacked a few days ago after he abducted a chief medical officer in Gonda district after the latter refused to issue appointment letters to doctors recommended by the minister.