CM Akhilesh strips 82 SP leaders of MoS status

All these leaders were given the MoS status following lobbying and recommendations from various quarters, including senior political leaders and religious leaders. They also got salaries of an MoS, accommodation in Lucknow and other perks.

“I can tell you the reason for their removal after consulting the leadership, it is surprising why such a decision has been taken,” SP spokesperson Rajendra Choudhary said.

The state government has released a list of 16 persons who have not been removed from their posts. They include those from constitutional bodies as commissions — minority, backward, women, selection and recruitment, planning and SC/ST.

Akhilesh’s close aide Javed Abedi has been retained as Chairman of UP Pollution Control Board. Literary bodies such as Bhasha Sansthan headed by Gopal Das Neeraj and  Hindi Sansthan by Uday Pratap Singh have not been touched.

Socialist ideologue Janeshwar Mishra’s brother Tarkeshwar Mishra, too, retains his post as chairman of UP State Agro Industrial Corporation Ltd.

Former journalist Farzand Ahmed, too, saved his post of advisor to Vocational Education while Azam Khan’s close aide Nawaz Deobandi continues as Chairman of Urdu Academy.

The party’s Lok Sabha candidates had lodged strong protests before SP president Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh over the role of these leaders with MoS status.

Further, the SP office had reportedly received complaints about misuse of power by these leaders enjoying MoS status. Some cabinet ministers, too, had lodged their protest over “undue interference” of advisors in their departments.

Recently, during a meeting at SP office, Mulayam had expressed his concern over “non-performance” of these leaders.

Sources in SP, however, claimed that the party leadership will not be able to sustain its decision for long and that many of them would be reinstated soon.