THE developments of the past few days are viewed in the backdrop of controversies surrounding them, the list of ministers causing problems to Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav and his government, is getting longer every day.
A close look at the acts of commission and omission of the ministers who got stuck in the mire of controversy indicates that at least a dozen ministers have caused a great trouble to the Mulayam-led government.
As demand for action against Minister of State for Backward Classes Welfare Mehboob Ali, who announced his resignation this evening, was gaining momentum, the Minister for Haj and Minority Welfare Haji Yaqoob caught attention for announcing cash reward of Rs 51 crore for the person who could behead the Danish cartoonist.
In the sequel of it, Mulayam Singh Yadav appears to have begun distancing himself from his colleagues. There are reports that Chief Minister distanced himself from the views of Haji Yaqoob on Saturday. On many occasions, the Chief Minister has defended his colleagues instead of acting tough and asking them to fall in line.
Another controversial minister is independent MLA from Kunda Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya whom the Chief Minister had re-inducted in his cabinet as Minister for Food and Civil Supplies. Raja Bhaiyya had been dropped from the ministry when the Supreme Court cancelled his bail and transferred his POTA case to Madhya Pradesh.
{{/usCountry}}Another controversial minister is independent MLA from Kunda Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiyya whom the Chief Minister had re-inducted in his cabinet as Minister for Food and Civil Supplies. Raja Bhaiyya had been dropped from the ministry when the Supreme Court cancelled his bail and transferred his POTA case to Madhya Pradesh.
{{/usCountry}}Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Azam Khan is also hogging headlines frequently for his tongue-lashing against the Congress and the statements on controversial Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar University Bill that has remained pending with Governor TV Rajeswar.
Khan caught attention yet again on Friday when he attempted to stage a walkout in Vidhan Sabha to protest against observations made about him by Speaker Mata Parasad Pandey. Khan would probably acquire the distinction of becoming the first minister, at least in the recent past, to protest against Speaker’s observations.
Recently, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Rajendra Singh Rana was in limelight for observations made by Lokayukta for alleged extortion of money in his constituency. Minister for Science and Technology Durga Prasad Mishra had caused frequent problems to Chief Minister by his controversial statements till he was elevated from the position of minister of state to cabinet minister.
Earlier, the Rashtriya Lok Dal’s Minister for Irrigation Munna Singh Chauhan had drawn attention for sitting on a dharna against his own government to press the demand of lodging an FIR following a clash between two groups.
Minister of State for Cane Development Swami Omvesh had sat on a dharna to press the demand of regular power supply in his area. Other ministers who caught attention included the Minister for Medical Education (Barring Ayurvedic and Homeopathic medical education) Vinod Kumar Singh alias Pandit Singh who has caused problems to his own ministerial and party colleagues. The Minister of State for Programme Implementation Veerendra Singh Bundela is another minister who has been caught in controversy because of his involvement in politics of Bundelkhand region.