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Mayawati dubs Mulayam’s regime as ‘Govt. of scams’

LUCKNOW: Shifting the onus for the ills plaguing Uttar Pradesh on the erstwhile Samajwadi Party-led Government, Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday dubbed the previous regime as a “Government of scams” and accused its leader Mulayam Singh of becoming a victim of narrow and parochial tendencies.

In her reply to the debate in the State Assembly on a motion of thanks to Governor T. V. Rajeswar for his address to the legislature, Ms. Mayawati dismissed the allegations levelled against her Government by Mr. Singh and the other Opposition parties. Taking note of the Leader of Opposition’s absence from the House, Ms. Mayawati remarked that he could not muster the courage to face her reply.

In her 90-minute reply to the 21 charges levelled by Mr. Singh, the Chief Minister regretted that the Leader of Opposition mentioned his son, brother, village, home district and a particular caste in his address on Wednesday but ignored mentioning anything about the welfare of society.

Dismissing the charge of political vendetta against party workers, especially of the SP, the she said only about 9,000 cases had been filed against the accused persons by her Government as compared to the 11,000 cases claimed by the Leader of Opposition. Had it been a case of political vendetta, action would not have been taken against those who lodged 2000 fake FIRs.

She asserted that despite the hue and cry raised by Mr. Mulayam Singh, the goondas and mafia would be sent to jail. In this context, she said the Government had taken a strong view of the alleged involvement of one of her ministers and his son in a triple murder in Noida recently. The Chief Minister said if the charges are proved true she would not hesitate to punish the minister.

About SP leader’s allegation that UP had become a safe haven for terrorists, Ms. Mayawati said on the contrary the State was a safe hideout for ultras under the previous regime. She rejected the charge of innocent Muslims being targeted by the BSP Government.

The Chief Minister gave a clean chit to the Chief Secretary, D-G Police, Divisional Commissioner of Lucknow and AD-G, Law and Order, as “very honest officers” who could not be pressured. Ms. Mayawati said, in fact, the SP Government during its time exerted pressure on officers.

Describing the alleged police recruitment scam as the biggest such scandal in the country, Ms. Mayawati said it was the fallout of pressure exerted on police officers by the previous regime.

Referring to the CBI probe recommended in the food scam, police recruitment scandal “of the previous Government”, and the CD case, the CM took a dig at the Leader of Opposition and said he might be wary of her but he should not fear the CBI.

She said the kidney case had also been referred to the CBI.

About Mr. Mulayam Singh’s charge that the appointment of a non-IAS officer as Cabinet Secretary had caused resentment among the officers, the Chief Minister said the matter was still sub judice.

She denied that on an average five farmers died of starvation daily in Bundelkhand, adding that if rehabilitation measures been taken by the previous regime the situation in the region would have been different.

She accused the Leader of the Opposition of trying to reverse the trend of Dalit welfare and alleged that atrocities were committed on the Dalits under the previous regime. Stating that the current reservation policy would continue, Ms. Mayawati announced that her Government had lifted the ban on recruitment of general category candidates, which had been imposed by the SP Government on December 12, 2006.

The statutory motion of thanks was later passed by voice vote.

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