Zeenews Bureau
Lucknow: Hours after Uttar Pradesh Minister for Revenue and Rehabilitation Vinod Kumar Singh quit on Friday in connection with the alleged abduction of Gonda chief medical officer SP Singh, his supporters attacked the office of the CMO.
Vinod Kumar Singh’s supporters pelted stones at the office of Gonda CMO, according to CNN-IBN.
The minister today decided to step down on moral grounds, while seeking a probe into the CMO`s role.
"I have sent my resignation to the Chief Minister as I am a devoted worker of SP. I will continue to provide my services to the people of the state and my constituency Gonda as an MLA," Singh said.
Asked as to why he was stepping down, Singh said, "I think some people are trying to malign the image of the party taking my name and I don`t want this to happen".
Asked about his involvement in the abduction of the CMO, Vinod Singh alias Pandit Singh maintained that he was innocent.
The minister’s resignation came a day after a red faced Akhilesh Yadav government ordered an investigation into the allegations of the CMO.
CMO SP Singh had on Wednesday lodged a verbal complaint with the district officials alleging that Vinod Kumar Singh intimidated him to "adjust" some favoured doctors in the contract list for the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme. But when he refused he was abducted by the minister`s henchmen.
Statements of the District Magistrate of Gonda, the chief development officer (CDO) and the chief medical officer would now be recorded.
As soon as SP Singh had lodged his complaint after giving the abductors a slip, the district police packed him off to Lucknow amidst heavy security.
Vinod Kumar Singh has three criminal cases against him. While initially nothing happened, media coverage forced the government to act, an official said.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his father, Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, who were in Mumbai to join in a birthday party of film star Amitabh Bachchan, telephonically asked Health Minister Ahmad Hasan to ascertain the facts.
