Maya dials Akhilesh, extends support after CBI ‘quiz’ plan

LUCKNOW: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Sunday called up Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and assured him that both the parties would together take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which she accused of playing “dirty tricks” and “disgusting politics”.

Mayawati’s phone call came amid reports that Yadav might be questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the illegal sand mining case.

According to PTI, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the Modi government for “shamelessly unleashing” the CBI on Akhilesh Yadav and said it is time to throw out the NDA government, calling it a “dictatorial and undemocratic regime.” According to a statement issued by the BSP on Monday, Mayawati told Akhilesh that such dirty tricks were nothing new for the BJP and the people were aware of it.

She has asked Akhilesh not to worry about it and the two parties should fight strongly against such conspiracies, the statement added. “The Centre is using the state machinery against opponents. Instead of panicking, the BJP should be given a befitting

reply for targeting the SP president,” she said.

Mayawati claimed soon after reports of an alliance between the BSP and SP for the Lok Sabha elections appeared in the media, the BJP government directed the CBI to conduct raids in the mining case. “The news that the then UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav will be quized was deliberately spread in the media,” she said. Mayawati said both the BJP and the Congress were known for misusing the government machinery to target their opponents. She claimed that the BJP put pressure on her for a pre-poll alliance during the 2004 Lok Sabha election offering her 60 seats but when she rejected it, a fake case was registered against her in Taj corridor scam.

“Instead of bowing before the BJP, I resigned from the CM’s post. In 2007, I took revenge from

the BJP by forming a majority government in UP,” she said.

“The people will teach a lesson to the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha election for misusing the government machinery to target the leaders of opposition parties. The BJP leaders charged with corruption have got relief from investigating agencies,” she alleged.

Members of SP and BSP also created uproar in Rajya Sabha on Monday alleging political vendetta by the BJP.

On Saturday, the CBI carried out searches at 14 places in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi in an ongoing investigation of a case relating to alleged illegal mining of minerals in Hamirpur district.

Akhilesh held the mining portfolio also between 2012 and 2013.

On Sunday, Akhilesh had said the details of his party’s seatsharing agreement with the BSP would be announced in a week.