Yogi Adityanath ‘didn’t accept’ Rajbhar resignation, son says decision after meeting Amit Shah

Three days after BJP ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief and cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar offered to give up the charge of the Uttar Pradesh backward class welfare department, on Sunday, he said that the same has not been accepted by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“I had offered my resignation from the backward class welfare department but it has not been accepted by the chief minister,” Rajbhar told PTI. He said, “I told the chief minister that when I do not have the right to keep people of my choice in the UP Backward welfare panel then what is the use of being a minister. The chief minister told me he would look into the matter.”

Rajbhar’s son and SBSP general secretary Arun Kumar Rajbhar on Sunday said that a final decision will be taken after Rajbhar’s meeting with BJP national president Amit Shah on Tuesday. “We will make the decision public at our rally in Varanasi on February 24,” he added.

“A meeting took place between Rajbhar ji and the CM on Friday night, in which the latter refused to accept the resignation. Adityanath also assured him that all our demands related to the problems in the backward class welfare department and the sanctioning of the remaining Rs 192 crore for scholarship to backward class students will be looked into,” Arun claimed.

“He will raise the concerns with Amit Shah soon. If we do not get a positive response, we will part ways with the BJP and Rajbhar ji will leave the cabinet minister post,” Arun told The Indian Express.

The SBSP general secretary further said that if the party eventually part ways with the BJP, they can either go with the SP-BJP alliance in the state or Congress for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

On Thursday, Rajbhar had shown a resignation letter to the media saying that he will be meeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath regarding the same. SBSP spokesperson Piyush Mishra also confirmed that Rajbhar will be meeting Shah along with deputy CM Dinesh Sharma in Delhi on Tuesday. With PTI