Transport minister Gayatri Prajapati has been accused of violating the model code of conduct in force ahead of assembly polls after the UP police seized 4500 saris which were being transported to Amethi assembly constituency for distribution to lure the voters.
The police, while inspecting a mini truck on Banda-Tanda highway, found that thousands of sari were being transported inside. The truck driver, after interrogation, revealed that the saris belonged to Transport Minister Gayatri Prajapati. The police registered a case of violation of code of conduct.
According to superintendent of police (SP) Balikaran Yadav, the incdent took place on Wednesday when the police discovered during vehicle inspection that minister Prajapati’s name was written on the consignment.
Driver Ankit Shukla and his associate Rahul Singh are the residents of Unnao and Kanpur districts of UP respectively.
They revealed that they were asked to drop these bundles of saris to Kodhvan Degree College in Amethi.
According to police, the matter was under investigation. Prajapati is not new to controversies. The minister, who is close to Mulayam, triggered a controversy a couple of years ago when he reportedly became a reason for Mulayam making a threatening phone call to an IPS officer Amitabh Thakur. His wife Nutan Thakur, a social activist, had lodged a complaint to Lokayukta in 2015 against Prajapati.
Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had sacked Prajapati in 2016 after allegations of corruption mounted against him. He was even acused of promoting illegal mining when he held the charge of minister for mining.
