Acting on a request from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Governor Ram Naik dismissed estranged ally and a Cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar from the post of Minister for Backward Class Welfare and ‘Divyangjan’ Empowerment in UP cabinet with immediate effect on Monday.

Seven members of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party including OP Rajbhar’s son Arvind Rajbhar were also dismissed from their services in committees set up by Uttar Pradesh Government with immediate effect.

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Rajbhar, who is the chief of the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party — an ally of the BJP — has been a bitter critic of the Yogi Adityanath government.

Earlier in the day, the office of the chief minister had said that Yogi Adityanath has requested the Governor to dismiss OP Rajbhar from UP cabinet with immediate effect.

Rajbhar, meanwhile, welcomed the decision and attacked Adityanath saying that the CM formed the Social Justice Committee and threw its report in the dustbin. Further taking potshots, he asked Yogi Adityanath to implement the Social Justice Committee’s report as quickly as he took the decision to dismiss Rajbhar today.

Earlier this month, Rajbhar had claimed that he has resigned from the Yogi Adityanath government but his resignation was not accepted.

“I tendered resignation as minister on April 13. It is up to the BJP to decide whether to accept or reject it,” Mr Rajbhar, a cabinet minister in the UP government, told reporters in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia.

The SBSP chief had also alleged the BJP of misusing his party’s name and flag in the election.

In April, he said his party will contest the Lok Sabha election in the state alone and announced candidates on 39 seats, prompting BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya to say that “Rajbhar has been with the BJP and will remain with it”.

Further attacking the BJP, he claimed the SP-BSP-RLD alliance will win more seats than BJP in the state.

The SBSP chief has on numerous occasions slammed the BJP government for ignoring the plight of the poor and the backward community, saying that he was fed up with the policies of the saffron party.

Earlier in January, Rajbhar had announced that his party will break away from the NDA and will contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections alone if his demand for quota for most backward castes is not met.

The MLA from Zahoorabad in Ghazipur has demanded that a part of the 27-per cent OBC quota be earmarked for the MBC and ‘mahadalits’ so that they can avail its benefits.

He had also set a deadline for the Yogi Adityanath government to act till February 24.