Lucknow, September 16
Uttar Pradesh Haj Minister Haji Yakub Qureshi, who, along with his three supporters, was allegedly caught travelling without ticket early today, described the incident as “politically motivated”.
According to GRP sources, they had received information about the minister’s entourage creating ruckus on the train after the ticketing staff asked for tickets. They stopped the train at Alamnagar railway station on the outskirts of the city just before the Charbagh railway station.
When railway and GRP officials searched the AC I compartment, the minister and his entourage was found carrying railway coupons instead of valid tickets. The minister was fined for travelling without ticket.
The minister, who, in spite of being part of the government, has started a campaign against Mulayam Singh Yadav’s “anti-Muslim policies” in recent months, alleged the morning raid was part of a larger “political conspiracy”.
Hinting at the hand of a senior party leader and MP, he said he would write to the Centre and disclose names of the people harassing him. While Qureshi maintained that he was accompanied by three of his aides, the GRP claimed he was travelling with at least six ticket-less supporters. They had boarded the train at Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, in the wee hours today.
