The Hindu : Tapes edited to misrepresent my statement: Mayawati

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 05, 2003

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Tapes edited to misrepresent my statement: Mayawati

By J. P. Shukla

LUCKNOW MARCH 4. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, said here today that the video tapes, suggesting that she had asked the MPs and the MLAs of her Bahujan Samaj Party to contribute "handsomely" to the party funds, had been thoroughly edited to present her statement out of context.

The Opposition Samajwadi Party alleged on Monday that Ms. Mayawati had, at a BSP meeting in 2001, charged her MPs and MLAs with receiving hefty commissions for releasing money from their constituency funds for the implementation of welfare schemes and appealed to them to contribute to the party funds. And, to support its allegation, the SP handed over a tape allegedly containing the recording of the meeting to the Governor, Vishnu Kant Shastri, along with a memorandum urging him to dismiss Ms. Mayawati and order her prosecution. Though the members of the SP delegation, led by their general secretary, Shivpal Singh Yadav, evaded reporters on coming out of the Raj Bhavan, the tapes were supplied to some news channels and telecast later in the night.

Ms. Mayawati said in a hurriedly-convened press meet this morning that the latest attempt to malign her was the result of the SP's "frustration'' over its failure to press the motion of no-confidence against the Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker, Kesri Nath Tripathi. "They (SP members) have hatched this conspiracy only to hide their shame.''

Probe against Mulayam

She also levelled counter-charges of corruption against the SP leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav, when he was the Chief Minister and hinted at a probe into the "misuse" of the State Government contingency funds during Mr. Yadav's rule. The MPs and MLAs of the SP had handsomely contributed "ill-gotten" money towards the construction of a school in Etawah in the name of the former Chief Minister's father, she alleged.

In the Assembly, the Opposition members tried for most part of the day to have a discussion on the issue. Equally determined BSP members resisted their attempts.

The clashes resulted in frequent adjournment of the House, leaving little time for any substantive discussion.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Azam Khan, and other leaders of the SP and the Congress were on their feet as soon the House assembled in the morning. They demanded that question hour be dispensed with and the issue be taken up for discussion.

The Presiding Officer, Harish Chandra Srivastava, said the matter could be taken up as an adjournment motion after question hour. The Opposition, however, insisted on an immediate discussion. At this, the House was adjourned till the end of question hour.

As the proceedings resumed, Mr. Khan was allowed to speak on the admissibility of the motion. It was now the BSP's turn to interrupt the proceedings. It led to further adjournment of the House.

Mr. Srivastava finally rejected the motion on the ground that the issue referred to a meeting held in 2001 and did not require urgent attention. But the Opposition did not allow him to proceed further. Shouting from both sides resulted in further adjournments.

At the fag end of the day, official business was transacted amid the uproar and the House was adjourned for the day.

The SP leader, Amar Singh, at a press conference, demanded a CBI enquiry into the allegations against Ms. Mayawati.

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