Assembly polls on schedule,says Maya

Speaking on motion of thanks to the joint address by Governor B L Joshi,the chief minister urged the Opposition to refrain from leveling “false and baseless” charges against her party and the government.

“This is an election year. The Opposition parties should refrain from maligning my government and party. We stand to gain by the vilification campaign launched by the Opposition party and the they will further loose the ground,” said Mayawati during her 90-minute speech in which she also gave clean chit to her two ministers — Rural Engineering Service Minister Thakur Jaiveer Singh and Minister of State (Pump Canal) Jaiveer Singh — and BSP legislator from Bharthanam,Shiv Prasad Yadav,against whom allegation of rape and murder have been levelled.

“The SP is targeting my ministers and MLAs,as it is left with no other issue,and is desperate to remain relevant in state politics,” she added.

She termed the recent charges of deteriorating law and order and spurt in crime against women as “politically motivated,unfounded and baseless”.

“The opposition parties are so desperate that they have stooped to the level of targeting my sandals,” she said in reference to the storm over PSO wiping her sandals during a visit to Auraiya this week. “Some people with casteist mindset in TV news channels and newspapers are blowing this issue out of proportion,” she added.

In her speech,she did not even spare P L Punia,the chairman of National Commission for Schedule Castes,though indirectly.

“Some commission and opposition parties are raising hue and cry over the incident of rape in the state. Never in the history of UP such prompt and harsh actions were taken against the leaders of the ruling party for their involvement in crimes. Yet the Opposition are trying to draw political mileage out of such incidents which was most unfortunate,” she added.

Rejecting the criticisms by the Congress leaders over the amendment to the UP State Guest Rules,she said: “The issue is under the consideration of the government for quite some time and the rules were amended after studying similar provisions in other states like Kerala and Karnataka.”

SP row in House

An angry Opposition forced the chief minister to be present in the House today during the speech of the Leader of Opposition Shivpal Singh Yadav,on over the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address.

As soon the debate started,SP took exception of the absence of the CM in the House. Yadav refused to initiate the debate. Ths led to chaos in the House,which was followed by adjournment. The House resumed only after Mayawati entered the Assembly.