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We’ll make it difficult for her: Congress

NEW DELHI: The war of words between the Congress and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati escalated on Wednesday, with the party virtually threatening that its workers had the capacity to make it difficult for her to tour the country, if she continued with “acts of political vendetta.”

“Let it be clear that the Congress as an organisation is present in every village of India and if she continues with her political vendetta she will find it difficult to do Bharat bhraman [tour],” party spokesperson Manish Tewari said at a press conference here hours after Ms. Mayawati spoke to the media.

Joining issue with Ms. Mayawati for stating that her action in cancelling land allocation for a rail coach factory project at Lalganj in Rae Bareli was not dictated by a desire for political revenge, he said this was contrary to the truth.

He said both Rae Bareli and Amethi were to get four development projects and unlike other State governments, which welcomed such schemes, the Uttar Pradesh government stalled them. “The politics of the Chief Minister is based on fear, revenge and corruption.”

The Congress also accused Ms. Mayawati of stopping the pension benefits to the former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation Vijay Shankar, a Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS officer, “What greater evidence of political pettiness is needed?”

On party president Sonia Gandhi’s willingness to go to jail, Mr. Tewari said the Uttar Pradesh government should be wary of challenging the party. For, the State might not have enough space in jails to imprison protesting party workers.

The Congress said Ms. Mayawati appeared keener on “political vendetta” than discharging her responsibility as Chief Minister and fulfilling the mandate given to her party.

Mr. Tewari said the Uttar Pradesh development indices were the poorest among all States and alleged that atrocities on Dalits increased after Ms. Mayawati assumed power.

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