Pallavi, ex-OSD reiterate allegations of corruuption in Ashish Patel’s dept

Pallavi Patel accuses U.P. minister Ashish Patel of corruption in promotions; he denies allegations, claiming conspiracy against him.

Apna Dal (Kameravadi) leader Pallavi Patel and former officer on special duty (OSD) Raj Bahadur Patel on Sunday reiterated allegations of corruption in promotions in the technical education department headed by Uttar Pradesh minister Ashish Patel.

Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Ashish Patel, who is also the husband of Union minister Anupriya Patel, had earlier denied all the charges (HT Photo)

Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Ashish Patel, who is also the husband of Union minister Anupriya Patel, had earlier denied all the charges, stating that there was a conspiracy against him.

Speaking at a press conference, Pallavi Patel, without naming anyone, said, “When you walk, dogs run behind, but when you turn around and scold them, they get scared, you understand. With me are the real descendants of Sardar Patel. It is beyond my understanding why the government is betting on donkeys in a horse race.”

“In May 2024, I wrote a letter to the minister that the DPC (department promotion committee) process is being done against the rules. A copy of this was sent to the chairman of AICTE, principal secretary to the governor, principal secretary to the chief minister, principal secretary personnel, principal secretary finance,” she said.

She further said, “I wrote five letters to the Uttar Pradesh government, went to the chief minister’s Janata Darbar twice. We gave notice to five people that there is an AICTE Act. There is a stay of the double bench, the DPC which is happening should be done through direct recruitment through the Public Service Commission. This DPC is being done against the rules.”

Attacking her brother-in-law and minister Ashish Patel, Pallavi Patel said, “If Ashish Patel has any political identity even today, it is in the name of her (Pallavi’s) father the late Sonelal Patel. I am the daughter of Sonelal; I will strongly fight against minister Ashish Patel in the case of corruption.”

Pallavi Patel said that she is repeating once again that corruption has taken place in Ashish Patel’s department.

“There should be an investigation against minister Ashish Patel in the case of corruption in promotions. Promotions have been given by ignoring the rules, if there is an investigation then everything will come out,” she said.

For his part, former OSD Raj Bahadur Patel said, “When the process of Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) started, I warned the minister, but I was told that I should look after the work of the public, and not after the government work. When I asked to stop the DPC, the minister said that he is busy in the elections and this DPC is being done by M Devraj and not him and he will not ask him to do the DPC nor will he stop it.”

He stated, “On May 22, 2024, I wrote a letter to the minister that this is against the rules of AICTE and it should be stopped, but our point was not accepted. When there was no hearing anywhere, then I told the minister that now I cannot work with you and resigned from my post. The copy of the letter was included to AICTE Chairman New Delhi, Principal Secretary to the Governor, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Principal Secretary Personnel, Principal Secretary Home, Principal Secretary Justice and Principal Secretary Technical Education.”

On Friday evening, the Uttar Pradesh technical education minister and Apna Dal (Sonelal) leader Ashish Patel called on chief minister Yogi Adityanath to demand a CBI probe into the corruption charges levelled against him by his sister-in-law and Sirathu MLA Pallavi Patel of the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi), a rival faction of Apna Dal (Sonelal).

During the recent winter session of the Uttar Pradesh assembly, Pallavi Patel raised the issue of corruption in the appointment of departmental heads in the technical education department. She staged a protest in the Vidhan Bhavan and handed over a memorandum to the governor, demanding a probe into the working of the technical education department.

U.P. minister hits back, says won’t be afraid of conspiracies

After the press conference by Pallavi Patel on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh minister Ashish Patel alleged that some people in the government were conspiring against him.

In a Facebook post on Sunday evening, Ashish Patel wrote, “My former OSD Shri Raj Bahadur Singh, who was present in the press conference, was in constant touch with the conspirators trying to defeat NDA candidate Mrs. Anupriya Patel ji even before the Lok Sabha elections. In such a situation, what was the option other than removing the OSD?”

“Now, no one is going to be afraid of conspiracies and indirect threats and neither is Apna Dal (S) going to back down from the politics of social justice, including the 69,000 teacher recruitment case,” he added in the post. HTC