UP minister threatens scribes for bad press

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh minister Vijay Bahadur Pal has waded into a controversy by allegedly threatening journalists of "dire consequences" for giving negative publicity of the state government.

The state Secondary Education minister threatened media persons while addressing the closing ceremony of a cycle rally in Kannauj, the Lok Sabha constituency of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's wife Dimple Yadav.

"Unko lagta hai ke woh patrakarita ki talwar se hauwa paida kardenge...woh nahin jaante ki hum Samajwadi hain...agar humein gussa aa gaya, to halla bol denge...auquat yaad aa jayegi" (Some journalists think they can frighten us through their writings. They don't know if Samajwadis get enraged, they will be cut to size)," Pal said yesterday.

The minister also accused the NDA-led Centre of favouring corporates and industrialists.

Pal had also raked up a controversy last year, by accusing UP police of working as an organised gang of dacoits.

Pal's comments come at a time when another minister in Akhilesh Yadav government - Ram Murti Verma - is facing charges of conspiring the murder of journalist Jagendra Singh in Shahjahanpur district.