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Mayawati's counsel to Raja Bhaiyya
Special Correspondent
| "Acquittal in case under the POTA, an opportunity to reform" |
MAKING A POINT: BSP president Mayawati at a press conference at the party headquarters in Lucknow on Sunday.
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Sunday counselled the controversial Uttar Pradesh Food and Civil Supplies Minister Raghuraj Pratap Singh, also known as Raja Bhaiyya, to learn a lesson from the conviction of his father by a POTA court in Madhya Pradesh on Friday. The case related to possession of unlicensed arms. Raja Bhaiyya was acquitted.
Raja Bhaiyya was arrested in December 2002 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The court, which let off the scion of Bhadri estate in Pratapgarh district sentenced Uday Pratap Singh to five-year simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 25,000.
It was during Ms. Mayawati's reign as Chief Minister that Raja Bhaiyya went to jail. The Act was withdrawn by Mulayam Singh Yadav when he became Chief Minister on August 29, 2003, and Raja Bhaiyya was released on bail. However, the Supreme Court on November 10, 2005 ruled that the case against Raja Bhaiyya be reopened. It later ordered the transfer of the case to Madhya Pradesh to prevent the possibility of the Minister influencing the trial.
Ms. Mayawati laid the blame for Raja Bhaiyya's troubles at the door of his father. According to her information, the prohibited arms were recovered not from his bungalow but from that of his father. The court must have taken this as evidence to acquit him, she said.
"Karne waalon ko nahin karwaane waalon ko court ne sazaa di." (The court has punished those who patronised crime), she said.
"No personal enmity"
Raja Bhaiyya said though he had no personal enmity with Ms. Mayawati, he was a victim of "political vendetta" unleashed by her government.
Participating in a meet-the-press programme here, Raja Bhaiyya said he was seeking legal opinion on initiating action against officers who had implicated him under POTA. He lost 17 months of his political career due to this, he claimed.
The review of the POTA case was a politically correct decision by Mr. Yadav, he said.
``UPA full of contradictions''
Ms. Mayawati said that the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre was full of inner contradictions. The `growing instability' within the alliance might cause its downfall during the monsoon session of Parliament.
She said the flashpoint had been reached with President returning the Office of Profit Bill. Following this, a serious crisis had gripped the UPA Government.
It would escalate once the Election Commission recommended the disqualification of Members of Parliament holding offices of profit. Since the Left parties would be affected by the move, they might withdraw support.
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