Sacking of UP ministers an eyewash: BJP

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday termed the sacking of two ministers of Uttar Pradesh government by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav an "eyewash" and alleged that the decision was taken to save the ruling "Yadav family". The BJP also sought resignation of Akhilesh Yadav on moral grounds over the issue of corruption. "Gayatri Prajapati was made scapegoat and it was you (Akhilesh) and your family behind this. To save yourself and your family, you have sacked these ministers," BJP National Secretary Shrikant Sharma told reporters at a press conference here at the party headquarters. Akhilesh Yadav on Monday sacked Mining Minister Gayatri Prajapati and Panchayati Raj Minister of State Raj Kishore. While Prajapati faces a slew of serious corruption charges including kickbacks in mining contracts, land-grabbing and extortion, Kishore was accused of land-grabbing. Prajapati was considered very close to Samajwadi Party (SP) Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav. Sharma said that the move to sack the ministers was an eyewash by the Chief Minister as he looted the state through them. "If little bit of morality is left with the Chief Minister, then he himself should resign," Sharma said, adding that the sacked ministers used to acquire money for Akhilesh Yadav and his family. The BJP leader accused the Samajwadi Party government of saving these ministers. "The Lokayukta had recommended registration of an FIR against Prajapati but Akhilesh Yadav did not act on it in the last two years," he said. The move to sack the ministers came following the Allahabad High Court (HC) ordering a CBI probe into allegations of illegal mining in the state. The state government had requested the court to withdraw its order of the CBI probe into the illegal mining charges but the court had refused to yield.