New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday said the Uttar Pradesh government is protecting former minister Raja Bhaiya, who has been booked for the murder of a senior police officer.

"The Samajwadi Party (SP) government in the state is protecting Raja Bhaiya, otherwise he would have been arrested by now," Mayawati told reporters.

Independent legislator from Kunda Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya on Monday quit as the state food and civil supplies minister after he was charged with conspiring for the murder of Deputy Superintendent of Police Zia-ul Haq.

Haq was killed by an irate mob in Pratapgarh on Saturday. But his widow accused Raja Bhaiya of being the key conspirator in the murder of her husband.

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the police officer's murder.