Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday summoned Minister of State (Independent charge) Swati Singh after an audio clip of her threatening a police officer in Lucknow went viral.
The Chief Minister has also asked for a report from Director General of Police within 24 hours.
In the audio clip that surfaced on social media, the UP minister was heard questioning Circle Officer of Lucknow Cantonment, Dr Beenu Singh, about an FIR filed against owners of real estate major Ansal Developers and expressing displeasure over it.
In the said audio, Swati Singh alleged that “fake cases” were being filed against the company. She was also heard saying that it was a high-profile case and was in the know of the Chief Minister.
“It is false. Close the case,” Singh is heard saying, asking the officer to visit her office “if she wanted to continue to be posted in Lucknow”.
The minister is also heard asking the police officer to sit down with her to resolve the matter.
Opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party and Congress, attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over Swati Singh issuing threats to the police officer.
“The matter is high profile and has been taken cognisance of by the Chief Minister. What inquiry will you do? Is this zero tolerance for corruption which the Chief Minister is not tired of speaking about? Shame!,” Samajwadi Party tweeted, quoting the conversation between Swati Singh and the Circle Officer.
Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Kumar Lallu posted in a separate tweet, “UP minister is threatening Lucknow Cant Circle Officer to favour scamster Ansal Builder. Madam Minister is saying that this matter is in the know of the CM Sahab, there are orders from above that there should be no FIR in this case. See the hold of scamsters under BJP government, how the minister is threatening the guardians of law.”
On September 29, real estate group Ansal API’s vice-chairman Pranav Ansal was detained at Delhi airport while he was about to fly to London, in connection with cases pertaining to criminal breach of trust, cheating, and forgery. Ansal was later brought to Lucknow and sent to jail.
