The Hindu : Mayawati briefs PM on U.P. developments

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Sunday, Mar 09, 2003

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Mayawati briefs PM on U.P. developments

By Our Special Correspondent

The Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, with the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati, at his residence in New Delhi on Saturday. — PTI

NEW DELHI MARCH 8. With the controversy over the tape episode and developments in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly refusing to die down, the Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief, Mayawati, continued to counter the campaign against her Government.

Ms. Mayawati called on the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, here today to present her views on the episode, which has exercised not just her political rival, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and his Samajwadi Party, but also the Opposition MPs.

She later told correspondents that she had communicated her position in a letter to Mr. Vajpayee and the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani.

She also indicated that at an "appropriate time," the contents of the letter would be made public.

Responding to the Opposition demand that it make a statement on the developments in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, the Centre, however, reiterated that it would prefer not to table Ms. Mayawati's letter.

Ms. Mayawati said she had briefed Mr. Vajpayee on the developments in the State over the last few days. The Prime Minister had told her that the BJP-BSP coalition was working smoothly in Uttar Pradesh and that she should continue to maintain the arrangement. However, Mr. Vajpayee's aides just said he gave Ms. Mayawati a "sympathetic hearing."

The Lok Janshakti Party chief, Ram Vilas Paswan, meanwhile, criticised Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Advani for extending support to a ``corrupt Government'' in Uttar Pradesh.

Instead of allowing a debate on the issue that concerned MPs and allegations of misuse of their funds, both the leaders had ``diverted'' the issue on a ``technical point.''

Addressing a press conference, he said the issue was not one that concerned just Ms. Mayawati and Mr. Yadav, but all the MPs and the MLAs.

He took offence to the reported statement of Ms. Mayawati describing the MPs and the MLAs as "bikau maal" (saleable commodity) and demanded the dismissal of her Government.

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