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Mayawati takes on both BJP and Congress

	February 04, 2008

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, who is dreaming of becoming Prime Minister after the next Lok Sabha elections, has stepped up her war against both major national parties, the Congress and the BJP.



The Uttar Pradesh Government has decided to hand over the case of the BJP’s controversial election CD to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). A chargesheet prepared by the Lucknow Police in the case names BJP president Rajnath Singh as accused No.1, though he was neither present at the CD’s release, nor did his name appear in the credits of the CD.



With BJP leaders accusing Chief Minister Mayawati of indulg¬ing in political vendetta, she said the case is being handed over to the CBI.



“I have decided to recommend a CBI probe into this episode to prevent BJP leaders from levelling allegations against me that my government was indulging in political vendetta,” she told the media on Jan. 30. The Lucknow police, she said, had found that senior BJP leaders were involved in the matter. In the media conference, that lasted only a few minutes, she did not name Rajnath Singh, and refused to answer questions. The police were investigating the matter on the basis of an FIR lodged by Chief Electoral Officer Anuj Kumar Bishnoi against senior BJP leaders, including Rajnath Singh, Lalji Tandon and others.



BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said the chargesheet was “a misuse of judicial process and a blatant attempt to brow¬beat political opponents using the police”. Prasad said all issues related to the CD that contained objectionable content on Muslims were resolved months ago, with the BJP issuing a state¬ment condemning it. The Election Commission had directed the BJP to disown the CD and publicly condemn its publication to escape punitive action.



“Rajnath Singh even went to the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow where an FIR had named him to court arrest. The police, including the SP, said there was no evidence against him and did not arrest him. At that point, L K Advani asked the SP to make things clear to the media which he did right then and there. It is ridiculous if the police have charged him in the same case,” Prasad said, adding that his party would respond in court, if and when it happens.





Congress main enemy



Declaring war on the Congress, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati said at a big rally in Jhansi on Tuesday, Jan. 29 that the Congress is BSP’s Enemy No. 1. Hitting back at the Congress for suggesting that her government was to blame for Bundelkhand’s backwardness, she especially targeted Rahul Gandhi, whom the Congress is banking to revive its fortunes in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati’s rally came just days after Rahul’s foray in Bundelk¬hand. Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Jhansi, had asked the Centre to provide a special relief package for the drought-hit region.



Rahul Gandhi spent a night with a dalit family in the area. Mayawati criticised Rahul Gandhi for misleading the backward castes and “spending nights” at dalit homes and eating their food.”



Holding the Congress responsible for Bundelkhand’s backward¬ness, Mayawati repeated her demand for a Rs. 80,000 crore package for the state. She said the Centre’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NRGES) was demeaning the poor. Giving Rs. 100 is like giving alms to beggars, Mayawati said.



Referring to the Centre’s refusal to provide Special Protec¬tion Group (SPG) cover to her, Mayawati said, “if they kill me, do not forgive the Congress, take revenge.”



Referring to the demand for the creation of a separate Bundelkhand state, Mayawati asked the people to help the BSP capture power at the Centre. She said her party would then create a separate Bundelkhand state. She also claimed that there had been no starvation deaths in Bundelkhand.



Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal on Thursday, Jan. 31, again ruled out giving SPG cover to Mayawati. But he said that the Centre is considering alternatives suggested by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister to protect her during her visits to states other than Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati has also been allowed to take her vehicle right upto the aircraft while boarding in any part of the country.





Four officials suspended for praising the Nehru-Gandhi family





The tussle between the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party had a surprising and unpleasant term for four Uttar Pradesh government officials including two IAS officers on Jan. 31 when Chief Minister Mayawati ordered their suspension for lauding the Nehru-Gandhi family in a book titled “Sultanpur-Kal aur Aaaj.”



Taking a serious view of the laudatory notes in the book written by central government officer Shrikant Shrivastav, the BSP government suspended the Faizabad Divisional Commissioner Venkateshwarlu, Sultanpur District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar, the then Chief Development Officer Eastdeo Prasad Roy and Assistant Director Information Pramod Kumar Singh. They were suspended for sponsoring the book praising the Nehru-Gandhi family and its contribution to the development of the district.



The State Government said that the book presented a distort¬ed version of Sultanpur’s history and only lauded the role of one political party. The Regional Publicity Officer of the Central Government Shrikant Shrivastav had compiled the book in which the Divisional Commissioner had written the foreword, appreciating the efforts of District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar in its publica¬tion.



Reports say the book has highly admiring references about the late Rajiv Gandhi and the current efforts of Amethi Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the development of the district. The State Government while suspending the officers said they had acted against the service rules by supporting a book which looks like the history of a political party.



Reacting to the officers’ suspension, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh said that the charges against the four officials were what he called “flimsy.” He said the suspension of IAS officers had to be confirmed by the Centre. He asked how Mayawati could justify the participation of state officials in BSP rallies in Uttar Pradesh and outside the State. The Congress also hinted that government officials had collected money for Mayawati’s birthday which was celebrated on Jan. 15.



Add IAS suspension



Governor Rajeshwar has asked the state government to revoke the disciplinary action against the officials.



The suspension has led to great resentment among the IAS officers of the state and they plan to take it up in the appro¬priate forum, sources said.









Mayawati can withdraw support, if she wants : Congress



The Congress has said that it will continue to play the role of a constructive opposition in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking at a meeting in Lucknow on Jan. 30, Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Digvijay Singh wondered why Mayawati keeps threatening the Congress with withdrawing support to the UPA. He said, “she can take it back whenever she wants.”



The Congress leader said there is no question of the Central Government directing the Income Tax Department to stop tracing the source of assets owned by Chief Minister Mayawati.



“We are not bothered about Mayawati’s support. The donors will have to disclose their sources of income,” said Digvijay Singh.



“She has asked why a case has been lodged against her. Case isliye - niyam kanun se bandhe hain,” said Singh. He added that earlier the assets were in the name of the party, but now Mayawa¬ti was transferring them to her family members. Mayawati, at her rally in Jhansi on Tuesday, had leveled allegations against the Congress for “conspiring to eliminate her”.



Singh said: “Instead of wasting crores for holding the rally in Jhansi, the CM could have visited drought-hit villages in Bun¬delkhand.”



He also ridiculed Mayawati’s allegation of a conspiracy to kill her. “We believe in non-violence. I ask her to place evi¬dence, if any, proving her allegation against the party.”