Lucknow, Jan 23: Over 12 BJP MLAs staged a dharna at the Daya Nidhan Park here today demanding immediate release of independent legislator Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, who is presently detained under Pota. Talking to a news agency, Mayenkeshwar Saran Singh, a Thakur legislator from Tiloi, said that after a clear-cut directive of the Supreme Court in this regard and a request by the state government for revocation of Pota charges against Raja Bhaiya, the ball was now in the court of the union government. "I am at a loss to understand as to why the Centre was taking so much time in revoking Pota charges against raja Bhaiya," Singh said. Kovid Kumar, BJP MLA from Tilhar, said that a section of party legislators had recently met central leadership regarding this but so far the union government had failed to take any action.

Another BJP MLA Narendra Verma said that the Thakurs had supported the BJP through thick and thin and pointed out that they may be forced to revise their stand if Raja Bhaiya was not released soon.
Bureau Report