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Congress is misusing CBI, says Mayawati

Sandeep Joshi

UPA government turned down our demand for funds
Giving job for 100 days under NREGS is not enough

MEERUT: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Saturday accused the Congress of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), citing relief given by the investigating agency to Ottavio Quattrocchi in Bofors case and clean chit to Jagdish Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riot case.

“Ever since Congress has realised that it is not going to come back to power at the Centre, it has asked CBI to ensure clean chits for all those accused that are close to party and its leaders. The CBI is working on a war-footing to make this happen,” she said while addressing an election rally here.

Replying to the Congress charge that the U.P. government was misusing funds being allocated by the Centre, Ms. Mayawati said it was the Congress that had been usurping funds meant for the welfare of Dalits. “The ‘hand’ (election symbol of the Congress) embezzled crores meant for the welfare of Dalits, ‘elephant’ (her party’s symbol) has helped in uplift of lives of Dalits and fought for their rights. Merely spending nights at the homes of Dalits or having food with them would do no good to their lives,” Ms. Mayawati said while taking a potshot at Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

Accusing Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of meting out step-motherly treatment to the U.P. government, Ms. Mayawati said: “We had demanded Rs.80,000 crore from the Centre for various development schemes related to roads, hospitals and schools, but the Manmohan Singh government turned it down outright. This biased attitude forced us to withdraw its support to UPA.”

She also said the UPA government failed miserably in various fronts, including price rise, poverty and unemployment. “Just giving employment for 100 days under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) is not sufficient.”

Ms. Mayawati said that if voted to power at the Centre, the BSP would work for the development of all sections of society. “We will chalk out a social and economic programme keeping in mind the needs and requirements of all sections of society and work together with people from all religions and castes,” she added.

Ms. Mayawati was on a whirlwind tour of western U.P. covering four constituencies in the region and seeking votes for Malook Nagar (BSP candidate for Meerut seat), Kadir Rana (Muzaffarnagar), Tabassum Begum (Kairana) and Shahid Siddiqui (Bijnore).

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