Oppn wants Raja Bhaiyya behind bars, disrupts House

The murder of Kunda Circle Officer Ziaul Haque rocked both the Houses of the UP legislature on Wednesday as the opposition parties disrupted the proceedings demanding arrest of controversial MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raj Bhaiyya who had to resign as minister after the slain police officer's wife named him in the FIR.

While the Question Hour became a casualty for the third consecutive day, no business took place in the Council where Chairman Ganesh Shanker Pandey adjourned the House for the day.

In the Assembly, BSP members trooped into the well and raised slogans demanding arrest of Raja Bhaiyya. As the Congress and BJP MLAs too lodged their protest, Speaker Mata Prasad adjourned the house for an hour. When the House re-assembled, Leader of Opposition Swami Prasad Maurya raised the issue again and demanded arrest of all the accused in the murder of the police officer. BSP members chanted — "Kunda key gunda ko giraftar karo ."

This time, the Speakar adjourned the House for five minutes, which was later extended for another 15 minutes.

Revenue Minister Ambika Choudhary in his bid to pacify the opposition benches said as the CBI is now probing the case, "it is up to the CBI to arrest anyone''. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said UP Police should be continuing with the probe till the CBI accepts the case. "It means, UP Police has stopped the investigation, while the CBI is yet to begin the probe. The government is shielding the accused," Tiwari said. Later, Congress members staged a walk-out.

The wrangling and arguments continued till the House was adjourned.

In the Council, too, the scene was no different. The BSP members staged a dharna demanding "imposition of President's rule in the state, and arrest of all the accused named in FIR. Leader of Opposition Naseemuddin Siddiqui said the FIR based on the complaint by the police officer's widow had levelled the same charges of criminal conspiracy on Guddu Singh and Raghuraj Pratap Singh and Raja Bhaiyya. "Guddu has been arrested, but the former minister continues to remain free," Siddiqui said.

... contd.

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