The Hindu : Boycott Gujarat polls, Mulayam tells Opposition

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 14, 2002

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Other States - Uttar Pradesh

Boycott Gujarat polls, Mulayam tells Opposition

By J. P. Shukla

LUCKNOW APRIL 13. The Samajwadi Party leader, Mulayam Singh, today suggested that the Opposition parties boycott the Assembly elections in Gujarat to give a fitting reply to the Bharatiya Janata Party, which he alleged was trying to ``communally divide society to serve its political interests''.

Talking to newspersons here, Mr. Yadav said the National Human Rights Commission, the Minorities Commission, the Opposition parties and everyone else had held the Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, responsible for his `complicity' in the riots in Gujarat. Public opinion was for his removal as a corrective measure. But the Prime Minister, who had earlier described the Gujarat riots as a ``national shame'', soon performed a volte face and rejected the demand.

The BJP national executive had now advised Mr. Modi to go in for dissolution of the State Assembly followed by fresh elections. The only motive behind this decision was to exploit ``Hindu communal sentiments'' to reap political dividends in the elections, even if this meant total destruction of the social fabric, he said.

It would be in the fitness of things for the Opposition to boycott of the elections if the BJP went ahead with its plans. The Samajwadi Party would discuss the issue and take a decision soon. He would also raise it with the People's Front.

Mr. Yadav said the BJP might opt for dissolution of the Lok Sabha on the lines of its plans for Gujarat and go in for fresh elections to ``consummate its politics of communalism''.

``The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, has spoken in different voices at different places. He had said one thing in Ahmedabad and now had completely changed his tone in Goa.He had given all indications that the BJP wanted to revert to its agenda of Hindutva without any care for national interests. The party could now do anything to throw the country into the fire of communal animosity and place Hindus against Muslims,'' Mr. Yadav alleged.

He cautioned the ruling National Democratic Alliance partners of the BJP against the ``communal designs'' of their elder colleague. ``Else, they might be forced to repent deeply.''

Earlier, the UP Samajwadi Party unit president, Ram Saran Das, urged the Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, not to allow the BSP leader, Mayawati, to become the Chief Minister as she was on bail in a criminal case relating to serious charges of corruption during her earlier rule.

Mr. Das said Mr. Mayawati was the main accused in the Float Pump scandal and had been released on bail by the Delhi High Court. The CBI case related to alleged swindling of more than Rs. 3 crores.

The CBI in its affidavit submitted to the High Court that Ms. Mayawati had ``tried to mislead the court by submitting a forged FIR''.

According to CBI, there existed a prima facie case against her under different sections of the Anti-Corruption Act, he said.

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Boycott Gujarat polls, Mulayam tells Opposition