Senior SP leader demanded young girls for sex

A telephonic conversation with the accused was recorded

A senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader, who enjoys the status of a minister of state, has been charged by an expelled SP women’s wing functionary with demanding “young girls” for sex.

Madhu Pandey has also handed over a CD of her telephonic conversation with SP leader Ram Babu Yadav to authorities in Auraiya district, about 250 km from here. She has also lodged a complaint against him and sought security apprehending threat to her life from Yadav.

Pandey claimed that Yadav had asked her to come to the state capital with a “chooja (baby chicken).” When Pandey asked him to clarify, the 71-year-old SP leader, who is the chairman of a state department, said he meant girls between 18 and 20 years.

According to Pandey, the conversation was recorded in October last year. She went public with it now after trying in vain to get justice from party leaders. “I just wanted to show how these leaders exploit women functionaries. They are expelled when they do not oblige,” she said.

Pandey, who was a member of the state executive of the SP women’s wing, alleged that she was earlier assaulted and humiliated by Yadav. She was expelled from the party last month on a charge of indiscipline. District authorities in Auraiya confirmed that they had received the CD.

“We are investigating the matter. The CD will be sent to some forensic science laboratory for examining its authenticity,” the officials said.Yadav has dismissed the allegations. He claimed that Pandey turned against him after her expulsion and was now trying to sully his reputation.

The allegation has sent the state SP leadership into a tizzy. Though none of the SP leaders here was ready to comment on the charges, the BJP demanded immediate sacking of Yadav and a thorough probe into the matter. “Yadav must be sacked pending investigation,” said BJP state spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak.