Varanasi: Upset over withdrawal of armed security guard given to him on paying 10% prescribed expenses on March 21, former minister and Congress leader Ajay Rai accused the state government of vendetta and putting his life at stake for exposing lapses in ongoing development work in Varanasi.
Talking to reporters at his residence on Wednesday, Rai claimed having a spotless public life of 30 years in which he won five assembly elections and contested twice against PM Narendra Modi. “Except some political cases, not a single criminal case has been lodged against me. From 2014, I have been exposing lapses in ongoing development works in PM’s constituency, which is healthy practice in a democratic setup,” said Rai.
The state government is indulging in vendetta politics and is targeting me despite knowing that I am a complainant and a prime witness against jailed mafia don Mukhtar Ansari in the murder case of my brother Awadhesh Rai, he said.
“The government withdrew my security cover and cancelled arms licences. When I tried to draw attention of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, one armed constable was provided to me in February for being a former MLA, but he was also withdrawn on March 21,” said Rai.
If the government is really keen on ensuring punishment for Mukhtar, why it is put my life at stake despite knowing that my evidence will ensure capital punishment for him, he asked.
Rai had opened front against the state government on January 7 by claiming threat to his life from Mukhtar and refusal of state government to provide proper security cover to him despite being a prime witness against the jailed don.
He had also targeted BJP MLA and Krishnanand Rai’s widow Alka Rai for writing letters to Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and accusing Congress government in Punjab of shielding Mukhtar after Ropar jail authorities refused to hand him over to UP Police for producing him in court for hearing in cases pending against him.
Rai’s brother had been shot dead outside his residence in 1991. Rai is complainant and prime witness against Mukhtar and other accused, though he enjoyed support of Mukhtar’s Qaumi Ekta Dal in 2014 parliamentary election.