Trouble for Yogi: Minister Dinesh Khatik offers to resign

Lucknow: Signs of trouble are visible in the second consecutive term of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath with state ministers making dissenting voices against the functioning of the government.

After the expression of anger by Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak and suspension of senior officials in the Public Works Department headed by Jitin Prasada, a fresh crisis erupted on Wednesday when Jal Shakti Minister Dinesh Khatik offered to quit, alleging that he is being ignored by officials. Khatik expressed his desire to resign through a letter addressed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The letter has surfaced on social media.

Earlier in July, Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak had vented his ire over transfers made in his Health Department in his absence and had sought an explanation from Additional Chief Secretary (Medical and Health) Amit Mohan Prasad over the violation of the transfer policy. With the matter putting the state government in an embarrassing situation, the chief minister constituted a three-member committee to look into the report. Adityanath cracked the whip and ordered suspension of five senior officials, including Public Works Department (PWD) minister Jitin Prasada's OSD over irregularities in the department.

The controversies provided enough ammunition to the main opposition Samajwadi Party, Congress and the BSP to attack the state government. Khatik in his letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah made some serious allegations of corruption in his department and officials ignoring him.

The Hastinapur BJP MLA highlighted his Dalit background while complaining against senior department officials. When the media in his native Meerut district sought his reaction over his resignation, Khatik merely said, "There is no such issue." Sources close to the minister in Meerut said he has gone to Delhi. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav is happy to latch on the ministers making their displeasure public. Commenting over Khatik's resignation, Akhilesh said in a tweet in hindi, "Where there is no honour for a minister but a Dalit getting humiliation, tendering resignation is the right step to keep the respect of one's 'samaj' (community)."

Taking a jibe at the ongoing trouble in the BJP government, the SP chief said in a tweet in Hindi, "Understand the chronology of corruption and misgovernance in the UP BJP government: First rebellion in the ministry of public works department, then a rebellion in the ministry of health and now rebellion in the ministry of Jal Shakti." "The public is asking, the BJP government should tell honestly...now whose turn is it next," he asked. Mayawati in a tweet said, "The neglect of a Dalit minister even within the Uttar Pradesh's BJP ministry is highly condemnable and unfortunate."

"Such news is in discussions at the national level. The government must fulfil the responsibility of taking care of their safety and respect by abandoning its casteist mentality and neglect, disdain, exploitation and injustice towards the Dalits," she added. Congress media convenor Anshu Awasthi in a statement said, "The resignation of Dinesh Khatik is the testimony of the reality of zero tolerance and humiliation of the Dalits in the BJP government. Corruption is like an industry which is flourishing under the BJP government."