Lucknow, July 3: Presence of two legislators, who are in jail, in the lunch given by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in the honour of UPA's presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee created a controversy today.
Samajwadi Party MLA Vijay Mishra and Quami Ekta Dal MLA Mukhtar Ansari were also present in the meeting of Mr Mukherjee with the SP MLAs and MPs at 5, Kalidas Marg residence of the CM.
Both the MLAs, who are in jail, had been given permission to attend the Assembly Session but their presence in the meeting of the SP MLAs and lunch drew much attention.
However, both the MLAs refused to talk to media and even tried to cover their faces before the cameras.
Mishra, is an accused in the attack on the BSP minister Nand Gopal Gupta alias Nandi in Allahabad in July 2010 and is presently in jail.
Similarly, mafia-turned politician Ansari is accused in several cases of murder and kidnapping and is presently in jail. Court has allowed both the MLAs to attend the Assembly Session which ended here today.
The court order said these legislators should be kept in the district jail and allowed only to attend the Assembly Session and nothing else.
UPA's Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee today campaigned in the key state of Uttar Pradesh where its outside supporter and ruling Samajwadi has pledged its support.
UP accounts for around 1.62 lakh votes of the total electoral college of 10.98 lakh votes.
Among Congress leaders, Union Coal Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal, Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla, UPPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi and CLP leader Pramod Tiwari attended the lunch.
