Mayawati counters Rahul, says get your house in order first
LUCKNOW: The Congress should look at its own record of fighting against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati said on Sunday, reacting strongly to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks that an offer for a poll alliance in the recently-held Uttar Pradesh assembly elections failed to elicit a response from her.
“Earlier, his father Rajiv Gandhi tried to defame and weaken the BSP, saying that BSP founder Kanshi Ram was a CIA agent,” Mayawati said at a media briefing. “Now, his son is following in his footsteps and making false allegations that I am afraid of central agencies — CBI, ED and income tax department — and that I am soft against the BJP,” she said.
“There is no truth in this. He should know that I have got a clean chit, not from any party whose government was in power at the Centre, but from the Supreme Court,” she added.
On Saturday, Gandhi said his party had “approached Mayawati and offered her the position of chief minister (of UP), but she did not respond to the proposals”. “She gave a clear passage to the ruling BJP. Why? (Because of ) CBI, the ED and Pegasus.”
“The Congress should introspect on its record in its fight against the BJP. After the Congress lost power, there is no sign of its fight against BJP and RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), whereas the BJP has adopted all tricks to make the country not only free of Congress, but also of opposition, from panchayat to Parliament,” Mayawati said.
Rebutting Mayawati, Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi, said: “Before countering Rahul Gandhi ji, the BSP chief should introspect that for last five years it did not play the role of opposition in the state.”