NEW DELHI (TrustLaw) - The head of India’s most populous state has sacked its education and labour ministers over corruption allegations as part of an “operation clean-up” ahead of polls next year, the Hindustan Times reported on Thursday.
Mayawati, chief minister of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, sacked her education minister Rangnath Mishra and labour minister Badshah Singh on Wednesday. Both face charges of amassing illegal wealth and land grabbing in rural areas, said the newspaper.
The dismissals take the number of ministers removed due to graft to five, said the report, with more senior officials facing charges of financial wrong-doing likely to be shown the door in the coming months.
“Mayawati’s ‘operation clean-up’ is being seen as precursor to 2012 assembly elections,” said the paper, adding that members of her Bahujan Samaj Party have claimed it is the only party to take stern action against its senior officials over corruption.
But opposition figures in Uttar Pradesh say Mayawati herself should resign as she also faces similar charges.
A series of scandals, including an alleged telecoms licensing scam that may have cost India up to $39 billion in lost revenue, have rocked the government and businesses in Asia's third-largest economy in the past year.
India was ranked 87th in Transparency International's 2010 index of nations based on perceived levels of corruption.
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
