Support on cut motion and the CBI case are unrelated'
Notwithstanding her support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government on the cut motion on the Finance Bill in Parliament, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday made it clear that there would be no let-up in her party's opposition to the Centre on the price rise issue.
Ms. Mayawati also rubbished speculation here on Tuesday that her move was influenced by the Central Bureau of Investigation agreeing to review the disproportionate assets case against her.
“The Taj Corridor and the disproportionate assets cases were filed against me when the NDA [National Democratic Alliance] government was in power at the Centre. Moreover, after the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the BSP decided to give unconditional outside support to the UPA government. The decision to support the UPA government on the cut motion and the CBI case are unrelated,” she said.
The Chief Minister said her decision was influenced by the need to prevent communal forces from returning to power at the Centre. “Logically, the BSP should have voted against the UPA government, but since it would have paved the way for communal forces to return to power it was decided to oppose the cut motion.”
Until Monday, the talk was that the BSP would support the UPA by abstaining from the Lok Sabha. Sources said the BSP chief reworked her strategy and decided on open support following reports that the Samajwadi Party would “disrupt the House proceedings.”
On the issue of price rise, Ms. Mayawati lashed out at the Centre, accusing it of guarding the “interests of the capitalist class and the rich, who have prospered at the cost of the poor and the downtrodden.”
Indicating that the struggle against the UPA government would continue, she stressed the need for the Centre to change its economic policies for the betterment of the people.
In Uttar Pradesh, the BSP and the Congress are engaged in a struggle of political ascendancy in view of the 2012 Assembly elections.
While the ongoing Congress yatras in the State have targeted the Mayawati government, she said the BSP considered the Congress its number one political adversary and that Tuesday's decision had not diluted her stand against the Centre.
Showing posts with label BSP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label BSP. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Cong says Rahul denied permission to garland Ambedkar statue
As BSP and Congress play the Dalit card on the birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar, the district authorities here today told Rahul Gandhi that he could garland the Dalit icon’s statue only after Mayawati’s party function got over.
Congress Legislative Party leader Pramod Tewari said his party had sought written permission from the district administration for 39-year-old Rahul to garland Ambedkar’s statue here.
“We had sought written permission but were denied the same,” he said.
However, District Magistrate Kunwar Vikram Singh said, “We have not denied permission but we will allow the garlanding of the statue by Congress leaders only after the BSP’s function ends here.”
The BSP’s function here is scheduled from 10 am to 4 pm while the Congress function is planned from 10 am to 2 pm.
Both the Congress and BSP are preparing to play their Dalit card on the 119th birth anniversary of Ambedkar and both the parties have organised functions at a short distance of each other in this district. The Ambedkar statue in question is in the middle of the two places.
Tight security arrangements have been made in the district with the AICC general secretary scheduled to flag off Chetna Yatra (awareness drive) to mark 125 years of party’s establishment, and BSP planning to stage a demonstration against “wrong policies” of the UPA government and “short comings” in the Women Reservation bill.
On the directives of Mayawati, a battery of senior leaders, including state cabinet ministers, will stage a demonstration, they said.
Ambedkar Nagar, which has a sizeable Dalit population, holds significance for the BSP as it had been represented by Mayawati thrice in Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999 and 2004.
Congress Legislative Party leader Pramod Tewari said his party had sought written permission from the district administration for 39-year-old Rahul to garland Ambedkar’s statue here.
“We had sought written permission but were denied the same,” he said.
However, District Magistrate Kunwar Vikram Singh said, “We have not denied permission but we will allow the garlanding of the statue by Congress leaders only after the BSP’s function ends here.”
The BSP’s function here is scheduled from 10 am to 4 pm while the Congress function is planned from 10 am to 2 pm.
Both the Congress and BSP are preparing to play their Dalit card on the 119th birth anniversary of Ambedkar and both the parties have organised functions at a short distance of each other in this district. The Ambedkar statue in question is in the middle of the two places.
Tight security arrangements have been made in the district with the AICC general secretary scheduled to flag off Chetna Yatra (awareness drive) to mark 125 years of party’s establishment, and BSP planning to stage a demonstration against “wrong policies” of the UPA government and “short comings” in the Women Reservation bill.
On the directives of Mayawati, a battery of senior leaders, including state cabinet ministers, will stage a demonstration, they said.
Ambedkar Nagar, which has a sizeable Dalit population, holds significance for the BSP as it had been represented by Mayawati thrice in Lok Sabha in 1998, 1999 and 2004.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
No stopping currency garlands, says BSP
Plans rallies in district headquarters to ‘expose Opposition conspiracy’
Unfazed by criticism, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati cocked a snook at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, once again accepting a garland made of currency notes, worth Rs. 18 lakh, at her party meeting here on Wednesday.
In fact, Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party national secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui said, party workers were determined to present currency garlands to Ms. Mayawati at all future programmes also.
On Monday, the BSP supremo was presented with a jumbo garland made of Rs.1000 notes by party workers at the BSP silver jubilee rally in the State capital. The currency value was variously estimated at between Rs. 21 lakh and Rs. 21 crore.
Condemning her acceptance of the gift, the Opposition parties accused her of a “vulgar display of money power.”
Manifestation of anger
At Wednesday's meeting of BSP Ministers, MPs and office-bearers, convened by Ms. Mayawati to take stock of the situation following the rally and to devise a strategy to tackle the Opposition onslaught, Mr. Siddiqui said: “The party has not taken kindly to the Opposition propaganda on the garland presented to the BSP supremo on March 15. The presentation of another garland on Wednesday was a manifestation of the party workers' anger towards the Opposition parties and reiteration of their loyalty to the Chief Minister.”
The currency notes which formed the garland presented on Wednesday were contributed by party workers from 18 divisions in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
State BSP president Swami Prasad Maurya, condemning the Opposition criticism, said the BSP was a national party which filed income tax returns.
Addressing the office-bearers, Ms. Mayawati said parda farsh rallies would be staged in all district headquarters in the State on March 25, to “expose the Opposition conspiracy.” She would attend the rally in a district of her choice.
On April 14, protests would be held in all district headquarters in the country against the Women's Reservation Bill.
Demonstrations would be held against price rise on June 22.
Unfazed by criticism, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati cocked a snook at the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, once again accepting a garland made of currency notes, worth Rs. 18 lakh, at her party meeting here on Wednesday.
In fact, Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party national secretary Naseemuddin Siddiqui said, party workers were determined to present currency garlands to Ms. Mayawati at all future programmes also.
On Monday, the BSP supremo was presented with a jumbo garland made of Rs.1000 notes by party workers at the BSP silver jubilee rally in the State capital. The currency value was variously estimated at between Rs. 21 lakh and Rs. 21 crore.
Condemning her acceptance of the gift, the Opposition parties accused her of a “vulgar display of money power.”
Manifestation of anger
At Wednesday's meeting of BSP Ministers, MPs and office-bearers, convened by Ms. Mayawati to take stock of the situation following the rally and to devise a strategy to tackle the Opposition onslaught, Mr. Siddiqui said: “The party has not taken kindly to the Opposition propaganda on the garland presented to the BSP supremo on March 15. The presentation of another garland on Wednesday was a manifestation of the party workers' anger towards the Opposition parties and reiteration of their loyalty to the Chief Minister.”
The currency notes which formed the garland presented on Wednesday were contributed by party workers from 18 divisions in Uttar Pradesh, he said.
State BSP president Swami Prasad Maurya, condemning the Opposition criticism, said the BSP was a national party which filed income tax returns.
Addressing the office-bearers, Ms. Mayawati said parda farsh rallies would be staged in all district headquarters in the State on March 25, to “expose the Opposition conspiracy.” She would attend the rally in a district of her choice.
On April 14, protests would be held in all district headquarters in the country against the Women's Reservation Bill.
Demonstrations would be held against price rise on June 22.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Voting on Women’s Bill deferred
Voting on the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha was deferred on Monday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh likely to call an all-party meeting on the issue on Tuesday after the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) threatened to withdraw support to the UPA Government.
On a day of dramatic developments, the Constitution Amendment Bill for reserving one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and Assemblies was tabled in the Rajya Sabha amidst unruly scenes with the opponents of the measure belonging to the SP, the RJD and an expelled member of the JD(U) tearing the copies of the measure.
After five adjournments, the House was adjourned for the day at 6 pm without the Bill being taken up despite the Government having the numbers to carry the legislation through.
But the staunch opponents — the SP and the RJD, which have 25 MPs in the Lok Sabha — sent ominous signals to the Government that has important money Bills and Budget to adopt in the Lower House that its majority may be made wafer-thin, just above the half-way mark of 272, if the BSP, which too is opposed to the legislation, also withdraws support.
This was followed by hectic consultations between the Prime Minister and his senior Cabinet colleagues and with leaders of the supporters of the Bill — BJP and Left parties — and with the opponents Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad together and with BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra separately.
The leaders opposing the Bill made it clear to the Prime Minister that their parties would vote against it in its present form without quota for women belonging to OBCs and Muslims and that there was no change.
On a day of dramatic developments, the Constitution Amendment Bill for reserving one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and Assemblies was tabled in the Rajya Sabha amidst unruly scenes with the opponents of the measure belonging to the SP, the RJD and an expelled member of the JD(U) tearing the copies of the measure.
After five adjournments, the House was adjourned for the day at 6 pm without the Bill being taken up despite the Government having the numbers to carry the legislation through.
But the staunch opponents — the SP and the RJD, which have 25 MPs in the Lok Sabha — sent ominous signals to the Government that has important money Bills and Budget to adopt in the Lower House that its majority may be made wafer-thin, just above the half-way mark of 272, if the BSP, which too is opposed to the legislation, also withdraws support.
This was followed by hectic consultations between the Prime Minister and his senior Cabinet colleagues and with leaders of the supporters of the Bill — BJP and Left parties — and with the opponents Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad together and with BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra separately.
The leaders opposing the Bill made it clear to the Prime Minister that their parties would vote against it in its present form without quota for women belonging to OBCs and Muslims and that there was no change.
