Pranab's luncheon date with imprisoned legislators

04 July, 2012

UPA's Presidential nominee and former Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was in Uttar Pradesh on 3rd July to campaign for his Presidential bid. If the media reports are to be believed, two jailed and hospitalised SP legislators Mukhtar Ansari and Vijay Mishra were also present at the luncheon at chief minister's residence.

NOT ONLY only congress but others like SP and BSP were also very excited to host Pranab' Da and rolled out red carpet for him. But among all, the ruling Samajwadi Party's lunch made headlines all across the media most, not because of the delicacies that were served at the lunch but it was the presence of two legislators, Mukhtar Ansari and Vijay Mishra, which caught the eyeballs.

Now the question is what is so exciting in this as Pranab Mukherjee was visiting the state only to meet the legislators itself and to ask and thank them for their support to his presidential candidature. Actually the two SP legislators Mukhtar Ansari and Vijay Mishra had been jailed on criminal charges and later shifted to government hospitals on medical grounds.

They were only allowed to participate in the proceedings of the state assembly, with no permission to go anywhere else. As per the pre decided schedule they were taken to assembly in ambulances and then back to their hospitals.

However, as per the media reports, on 3rd July (Tuesday) these two tainted MLAs were seen at the official residence of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during the luncheon reception in the honor of Pranab Mukherjee.

Mukhtar Ansari has been sent to jail on the charges of murdering BJP MLA Krishnanad Rai from where he had been shifted to Medical College in Lucknow as he complained of hypertension. Vijay Mishra, the other imprisoned guest at the luncheon, is accused of attacking BSP leader Nanad Kumar Nandi.