The Samajwadi Party government is certainly not practising what it preached. The state government is faithfully following in the footsteps of its predecessor — the BSP government — and even going a step ahead.
The state government, on Friday evening, banned the access of ministers and legislators to the chief minister’s office, located on the fifth floor of the Sachivalaya Annexe in the state capital.
According to a verbal order issued by one of the chief minister’s secretary, no MLA or minister will be allowed access to the fifth floor till the time chief minister Akhilesh remains in his office.
An officer in the CM secretariat clarified that only those ministers or legislators who are invited by the chief minister himself, will be allowed to visit the chief minister’s office.
It may be recalled that during the BSP regime, Ms Mayawati had banned the entry of accredited journalists to the fifth floor and, at that time, the Samajwadi Party had strongly objected to the decision terming it as undemocratic. The party had promised to “restore democracy” if it came to power.
However, after assuming power in March last year, the Akhilesh Yadav government decided to continue the ban on journalists visiting the chief minister’s office. Only a handful of scribes who are closely associated with the Samajwadi Party are allowed access to the fifth floor.
The latest decision of banning the entry of MLAs and ministers to the chief minister’s office, meanwhile, has evoked a strong reaction. “It is obvious that the decision has been taken by some powerful bureaucrats who are misleading the chief minister,” said a senior minister.