In a spot,SP mocks Cong-BSP ‘mock fight’

All this,when the SP MPs closed ranks with their Congress counterparts in the Lok Sabha during the day in protest against the alleged failure of law and order in the state,citing the burning of Joshi’s residence in Lucknow.

“Notwithstanding the UP Chief Minister’s allegation of the Congress members stagemanaging the burning of Joshi’s residence,I have definite information about the involvement of one BSP MLA and his goons in the episode. It is high time the Congress stopped keeping the SP and BSP on the same pedestal,” Amar told The Indian Express over the phone from Singapore,where he is recuperating after kidney transplantation there.

“Either the Congress should decline support from the BSP,or the BSP should withdraw its support. If the Congress wants the opposition space in UP,they can’t possibly take Mayawati’s support to run the Central government and oppose her on the streets of Lucknow. It’s like having your cake and eating it,” he added.

While Amar’s comments indicated only partially the SP’s awkward position with the Congress’s perceived attempt to be the prime challenger to the Mayawati regime,Ram Gopal’s statement alleging a “mock-fight” between the Congress and BSP laid it bare.

“Both parties (Congress and BSP) projecting themselves to oppose each other is a conspiracy to mislead the public. No action by (Congress-led) Central government against (Mayawati-led) UP government and the BSP continuing its support to the Congress-led government at the Centre is a clear proof that there is no fight between the two parties,and this (Rita episode) is a drama and mock-fight,” said Ram Gopal in a statement citing the Congress’s non-committal attitude towards the UP government’s dismissal despite the alleged failure of law and order in the state.

The Congress’s sterling performance in the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state,winning 21 seats,has been a cause for concern for the SP. The party’s worries were compounded with the BJP siding along with the BSP in the Lok Sabha on Thursday and demanding an apology from the Congress’s central leadership (read Sonia Gandhi) for Joshi’s alleged “derogatory” remarks.

In this context,Amar chose to close ranks with the Congress leadership. “I am saddened to hear about the kind of treatment being meted out to the political opponents (read Rita Bahuguna Joshi) by her (Mayawati). It reminds me of Idi Amin of Uganda. Mayawati is behaving like Idi Amin of UP,” he said.

“She is desperate to raise her political stature by unnecessarily dragging Sonia Gandhi’s name in this episode.”

Dares Maya to pull the plug on UPA
Distancing itself from the conflict between the Congress and the BSP,the state unit of the Samajwadi Party on Thursday termed the “clash” between the two parties as a noora kushti (fake fight).

“The arrest of the state Congress president under SC,ST Act,followed by the disruption of proceedings in the Parliament by BSP members is nothing but noora kushti between the two parties,” said Ram Gopal Yadav,SP general secretary.

“If the BSP is not happy with the Congress,then what prevents it from withdrawing support to the UPA government? Similarly,why has the UPA not dismissed the BSP government so far,even after law and order has collapsed in UP and the party state president has been sent to jail?” he asked. ens