Akhilesh Yadav bungalow row: UP minister seeks probe

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Jun 10 (ANI): A day after reports emerged that former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has allegedly left the government bungalow, he had been occupying until a few days ago, in shambles, state's transport and protocol minister Swatantra Dev Singh on Sunday said he has violated the Supreme Court's order.
He also asked for an investigation into the matter.
"Removing of ACs and tiles should not have been done because these are government properties. He has violated SC order. An investigation is needed," Singh told ANI.
Yadav, who recently vacated a government bungalow in compliance with Supreme Court's order and shifted to a private villa, has allegedly taken away imported tiles, ceiling, ACs, garden lights and bathroom fittings among others.
Refuting the charges, Samajwadi Party's Sunil Yadav instead blamed Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and said he was the one who had ordered the removal of various things from the property after the former chief minister vacated the same.
"This was done just to malign Akhilesh Yadav's image in public because the CM is frustrated after losing a series of bypolls," he added.
On June 2, Yadav vacated his official residence, complying with the SC's order on the matter.
Akhilesh now resides at the Ansal API township on Sultanpur road in Lucknow.
For those unversed, the Supreme Court in May 2016 quashed the law passed by the then Uttar Pradesh government, which granted permanent residential accommodation to former chief ministers of the state.
The apex court, in its order, said former chief ministers of the state were not entitled to government bungalows.
Thereafter, incumbent state chief minister Adityanath issued notices in May this year to six former state chief ministers to vacate their official bungalows, including Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mayawati, and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Notices were sent by the Estate Department asking the former chief ministers to vacate their bungalows within 15 days post the issue of notices. (ANI)