CBI Probe into Sale of Sugar Mills During Mayawati Govt Will Reveal Truth: UP Minister

Lucknow, May 7 (PTI) A CBI probe into the sale of 21 sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh at "throwaway prices" during the Mayawati government would reveal the truth and expose the "pact of corruption" between the BSP and the SP, Uttar Pradesh minister Shrikant Sharma said today.

"During the BSP rule (2007-12), when Mayawati was the chief minister, 21 sugar mills were sold at throwaway prices. Some of the operational sugar mills were also sold. This amounts to deceit to the farmers and people of the state. After this, the SP came to power, but even Akhilesh Yadav's government did not take any action against those involved in this act of corruption," he told PTI here.

Sharma, who is also the UP power minister said, "Actually, there is a pact between the SP and the BSP in matters of corruption."

He accused the Congress and the RLD of remaining "mute spectators".

"Whether it was the sale of sugar mills or the corruption in the National Rural Health Mission, the Akhilesh government kept the matter under wraps. At that time the Congress was in power at the Centre, and it had taken support from both the SP and the BSP to run the UPA government," he said, adding even the RLD was an alliance partner.

"As soon as the BJP government came to power in UP, it recommended a CBI probe. Now the CBI will probe the issue and expose the cocktail of dishonesty. Our government will not give any concession to acts of corruption. Action will be ensured against the dishonest," he said.

"The BJP will raise the issue of sale of sugar mills during the election campaign in a major way. As soon as we came to power, we recommended a CBI probe and there were no vested political interests behind the move," he said, indicating that his party could raise the issue in the upcoming Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur Assembly bypolls.

Kairana and Noorpur are in western UP, the sugarcane belt of the state.

The remarks of Sharma, who is also UP government spokesperson, assumes significance as it has come at a time when non-BJP parties were contemplating to put up a united opposition candidate at both the seats to take on the BJP directly.

The understanding between the SP and the BSP during the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bypolls had led to the humilitating defeat of the saffron party in both the seats.

On April 8, 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government had announced its decision to conduct a probe into the sale of 21 sugar mills in the state during the BSP rule in 2010-11, suspecting a scam of about Rs 1,100 crore.

The decision was taken at a review meeting of the sugarcane development department chaired here by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath shortly after he assumed office.

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