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Mayawati hits out at bureaucrats

Special Correspondent

Presence of top officials at SP function to mark three years of Mulayam regime

Photo: Subir Roy

IN CONVERSATION: BSP supremo Mayawati along with party general secretary S.C. Mishra addressing a press conference in Lucknow on Friday.

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday slammed the presence of senior bureaucrats at the Samajwadi Party function to commemorate three years of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government. Ms. Mayawati said it showed that the officers were subservient to the present regime.

The Bahujan Samaj Party president told reporters that the presence of the bureaucrats at the function was in violation of the Civil Services Conduct Rules. She said that with the Assembly elections approaching, the "official" presence sent out the wrong message that the bureaucracy was dancing to the tune of the present government.

Ms. Mayawati, however, denied that her birthday celebrations, when she was the Chief Minister, were funded by government money and senior officials were actively involved in the preparations. The BSP leader said the entire cost was borne by the party. As for the officers' presence, she said anyone could come to wish her.

Ms. Mayawati dubbed the three years of the government as Samajwadi Party's "misrule", and said in these three years U.P. had gone 30 years back on the development and law and order fronts. She said the Mulayam government had failed on all fronts.

Stating that the Samajwadi Party had seen the writing on the wall and the government was running on artificial respiration, the BSP chief denounced Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav as a "ghoshna mantri" (one who makes only announcements). Ms Mayawati drew a parallel with another former Chief Minister, Rajnath Singh, who, she said, also ended up making announcements before being defeated in the 2002 elections.

Ms. Mayawati charged that Mr. Yadav was following in the footsteps of Mr. Singh as he was also aware that the SP would not return to power. The BSP president said the Chief Minister's announcements existed only on paper.

The former Chief Minister assailed Mr. Yadav for promoting his son (Akhilesh Yadav) through Kanya Vidya Dhan and unemployment allowance schemes. Elaborating, she said that in the Chief Minister's absence the Vidya Dhan and unemployment doles cheques should be distributed by State ministers and officials and not by his son. She said there was no place for dynastic rule in the BSP.

Meanwhile, the BSP president suspended the Rajya Sabha MP from Uttaranchal, Isham Singh, from the party.

Ms. Mayawati said that action was taken against him on charges of promoting his children, knowing full well that she was opposed to dynastic rule in the party.

She said the MP had asked her to field his son from Landora (Reserved) seat in Hardwar district of Uttaranchal, and daughter from Nagal (Reserved) seat in Saharanpur district in UP in next year's Assembly elections in the two States. He was also charged with hobnobbing with other parties.

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Mayawati hits out at bureaucrats

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