Front Page   

No question of quitting: Mayawati

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI March 7. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, today called on the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and discussed the `video tape' episode. Home Ministry sources said that Ms. Mayawati told Mr. Advani that the Samajwadi Party (SP) had timed the release of the tape — allegedly showing her asking the BSP MLAs and MPs to share kickbacks from the MP and MLA local area development schemes with the party — to coincide with an attempt to split her party.

The Samajwadi Party, she told Mr. Advani, had hoped that the outcry over what she called the forged tapes would create the momentum needed to ``propel'' BSP MLAs across the floor in sufficient numbers. Sources close to Mr. Advani said that the controversy would die down. It was seen as a political issue with no impact on either the arithmetic of Parliament or the outcome of the Assembly elections slated over the next six months.

Talking to waiting newsmen after the meeting, Ms. Mayawati said there was no question of her tendering her resignation. She had instituted an investigation into ``misuse of official funds'', including the Chief Minister's discretionary fund at the time when the Samajwadi Party was in power.

If the inquiry indicted the SP leader, Mulayam Singh Yadav, her Government would take stern action against him. ``He will not be spared,'' she said. She accused the SP of being ``desperate'' following the defeat of its no-confidence motion against her Government. She insisted that Mr. Yadav should ``publicly apologise'' for the ``forged'' and ``edited'' videotape.

The U.P. controversy was the subject of yet another heated exchange between the Opposition and the Treasury benches in the Lok Sabha today. The SP moved a privilege motion against Ms. Mayawati on the grounds that she had accused MPs of making money through their discretionary constituency funds.

Though the Speaker, Manohar Joshi, disallowed the privilege motion, the issue was the subject of a high-decibel exchange between the SP and the BSP, with the BJP playing a supporting role. Mulayam Singh Yadav and Ramjilal Suman raised the issue as soon as the House met, saying that the U.P. Chief Minister had cast aspersions on members of Parliament.

Mr. Yadav alleged that threats were being held out to arrest him under POTA and the houses of his relatives were being raided.

The BSP MPs, led by Rashid Alvi took up the cudgels on behalf of Ms. Mayawati and described the allegations as false.

Heated exchanges erupted between the two sides and the Speaker had a tough time trying to bring order.

The issue figured again soon after zero hour and this time round the SP MPs sat in the well of the House to press their demand.

The BSP MPs also moved to the well shouting slogans. However, an ugly scene was averted with ruling party MPs prevailing upon the BSP MP's to resume their seat. The Opposition is planning to petition the President, seeking his intervention.

The Congress has already sought an appointment with the President.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Iraq's cooperation active: Blix
• We will act even without U.N. backing: Bush
• Ganguly, Yuvraj script India's win
• We will go ahead with the women's bill: PM
• Pak. denies Osama's sons have been arrested
• No question of quitting: Mayawati
• Pak. spy held in Delhi
• Sarkar Ministry sworn in
• Scientist held
• LPG price revision likely
• Torpedo launched

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu