SBSP president Om Prakash Rajbhar.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Lucknow: Hours after MLA Bedi Ram’s video—in which he claims that many people secured jobs through him after paying money—went viral, Om Prakash Rajbhar president of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) found himself embroiled in a raging controversy over another video.
In this video Rajbhar can be heard saying, that Ram had the ‘ability’ to secure government jobs for the youth.
The SBSP is an alliance partner of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.
‘’Aap ke bachhon, bachhiyon ko agar naukari chahiye to form bharo aur call letter aane ke baad inse (Bedi Ram) se sampark kariye…..ye kahin na kahin jugad kar denge,’’ (If your sons and daughter want jobs then they should contact Bedi Ram after getting the call letter), Rajbhar is heard addressing his party workers.
‘’Ye (Ram) naukari dilane me mahir hain…inke kai lakh chela naukari kar rahen hai’’ (Ram is an expert in getting jobs….a large number of people, who contacted him for jobs, are currently employed), Rajbhar further said. Although Ram was also present in the meeting, it was not clear when the meeting was held.
UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath summoned Rajbhar on Thursday evening and reportedly asked him to take action against Ram, who was SBSP MLA from Jakhaniya assembly seat in Ghazipur district in the state.
Rajbhar evaded a question about the MLA’s alleged involvement in the paper leak case and the video which making rounds in social media. ‘’Why don’t you (scribes) ask him?’’ he said.
According to the sources, Rajbhar had been summoned by the BJP leadership. Sources also said that no one has been able to contact Bedi Ram since the videos went viral.
The new video featuring Rajbhar could once again prompt sharp attacks from the opposition parties. Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav has demanded immediate arrest of the MLA. Congress leaders also demanded stern action against Ram and accused the BJP of ‘patronising’ the accused in the paper leak case.
Bedi Ram had been arrested in connection with alleged leak of papers of Railway recruitment examination in 2014 and sent to jail. The matter is currently pending in court. In his affidavit submitted at the time of filing his nomination papers for contesting the assembly poll, Ram had mentioned that as many as nine cases were pending against him.