Date:31/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/31/stories/2008053154251000.htm

National

Firing unprovoked: Mulayam

Special Correspondent

Mulayam Singh

LUCKNOW: The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh, on Friday said the police firing on Gujjar agitators and Samajwadi Party workers in Firozabad district reflected the Bahujan Samaj Party government’s attitude to political protest.

It was unprovoked firing on the Gujjar demonstrators who sat on the rail track at Asafabad, he told a press conference here. He alleged that the BJP and the BSP had a common agenda of working against Gujjars.

Mr. Singh accused Ms. Mayawati of going back on her election promise of reservation to Gujjars.

Mr. Singh demanded a compensation of Rs. 5 lakh each to the seriously injured and Rs 2 lakh to the other injured in the police lathi charge.

SP national general secretary Amar Singh claimed that a news channel was in possession of an audio cassette in which a BSP MP and a jailed Independent MLA were discussing measures to kill him (Amar Singh) during the Lok Sabha byelection in Azamgarh.