'Nothing wrong' in Mulayam scolding IPS officer, says Uttar Pradesh CM

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav saw "nothing wrong" in his father and Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav "scolding" a senior IPS officer in the state.

"When Mulayam Singh Yadav can scold the chief minister, there is nothing wrong in his scolding an official," Akhilesh said to pointed questions by newspersons in Farrukhabad on Monday.

Meanwhile, Governor Ram Naik refused to comment on the controversy, terming it is a political issue.

"I will not comment on it...it is a political issue," he said, adding, "Whatever has to be done, will be done."

The SP chief is in the eye of a storm after he allegedly threatened with serious consequences IG-rank IPS officer Amithabh Thakur asking him to mend his ways.

The audio content purported to be the voice of Mulayam went viral on electronic media after the IPS officer released it along with the text of the alleged conversation.

Senior UP minister Ahmed Hasan, himself a retired IPS officer, trashed Thakur's claims as "irresponsible and childish" and demanded stern action against him.

"Such a behaviour amounts to absolute indiscipline...stern action should be taken against him as it can leave a wrong impact on the police force," Hasan said, adding that no government should ignore this kind of behaviour of its senior officer.

Meanwhile, another senior UP minister Azam Khan demanded that the charges of rape levelled on Thakur should be probed thoroughly. "He has committed an immoral act and should not be spared," Khan said in Jhansi.

He was commenting on the FIR registered against Thakur at Gomti Nagar police station here alleging that he had committed rape. The FIR was lodged hours after he gave complaint against Mulayam for allegedly threatening him.