Raja Bhaiya back in UP Cabinet

Independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya was on Saturday re-inducted into the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet.

There-induction comestwo months after he had resigned following a Supreme Court order quashing the decision of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government to revoke POTA charges against him.

Raja Bhaiya was administered oath of office and secrecy at a simple function at Raj Bhavan on Saturday morning by Governor TV Rajeswar. His portfolio would be announced later.

Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh and other ministers were present on the occasion.

Raja Bhaiya had resigned on November 11 after the Supreme Court quashed the decision of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government to revoke POTA against him.

The Apex Court had also cancelled his bail and directed that the trial of the case be held in Madhya Pradesh.

Raja Bhaiya had subsequently surrendered before the Kanpur POTA court and the case was now being tried by a Jabalpur court. Singh was enlarged on bail last month.

Speaking to reporters later Raja Bhaiya said that he had resigned earlier as he did not want to damage the image of the Chief Minister.

"It would have been damaging for the government if I had gone to jail while being a minister," he remarked in reply to question.

He alleged that imposition of POTA on him by the then Mayawati regime was a political conspiracy.