Lucknow, Mar 28: An Uttar Pradesh minister was today arrested for disrupting rail traffic during an agitation in Saharanpur and was later expelled from the BSP.
Vinod Tejiyan, who holds the rank of a Minister of State in BSP government, took out a procession under the banner of Dalit Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, demanding reservation for dalits in government jobs.
The protesters also stopped Dehradun-Bandra Express and blocked railway traffic for over two hours yesterday.
“Tejiyan has been arrested in Saharanpur, expelled from the party and his Minister of State status stand withdrawn,” cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told reporters here.
The protesters also allegedly indulged in brick-batting, officials said, adding Railway Protection Force had lodged an FIR against 500 people, including Tejiyan in this connection.
Tejiyan, who is also the Uttar Pradesh Forest Corporation Vice-chairman, was arrested along with two other persons an engineer of hydel department R P Singh, who also has been placed under suspension and one Bharat Bhooshan, they said. PTI
