The Hindu : National : Be wary of Opposition’s machinations: Mayawati

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Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007
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Be wary of Opposition’s machinations: Mayawati

Atiq Khan

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Tuesday cautioned the “sarv samaj” against the machinations of the Opposition parties, especially the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

She was addressing a “Saavdhaan raho aage badho” (be cautious and move forward) rally on the Ramabai Ambedkar Maidan here on the occasion of her mentor Kanshi Ram’s first death anniversary.

“Expand party base”

Setting her sights on the next Lok Sabha elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party president wanted the audience to expand the party’s traditional support base, and at the same time strengthen the “gathbandhan” (alliance between the Dalits and Brahmins).

Ms. Mayawati attacked the United Progressive Alliance government for its “failure” to resolve the nuclear deal imbroglio, stating there were many divisions in it. On the Ramar Sethu issue, she blamed the Union government for submitting in the Supreme Court a wrong affidavit, which was “divorced from history.” She felt that the stalemate over these twin issues could cause mid-term polls.

The Chief Minister said the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) was not a permanent solution to poverty and unemployment.

On lack of adequate funds with the State government, Ms. Mayawati regretted that notwithstanding her meeting the Prime Minister, the special economic package of Rs. 80,000 crore had not been released by the Centre.

Gesture to sacked police recruits

Sympathising with the sacked recruits and suspended police officers, the Chief Minister said efforts would be made to re-employ those eligible when fresh recruitments were made.

Over 17,000 recruits were dismissed and 25 IPS officers suspended recently in the wake of alleged irregularities in recruitment during the previous regime.

Ms. Mayawati blamed the Samajwadi Party government for violating the rules of police recruitment, but sought to give a clean chit to the officers saying they were pressured by the previous regime.

Her statement comes a day after reports said the sacked policemen were coming together in Etah, Agra, Aligarh and Allahabad.

The Chief Minister described the ban on student union elections as a temporary measure

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