‘Situation has changed in Prayagraj… won’t field Atiq wife for mayor post’

In the meantime, advocate Umesh Pal, a witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP legislator Raju Pal, and his two police bodyguard were shot dead in Prayagraj in February and an FIR was lodged against Atiq, Parveen, their sons, Atiq’s younger brother Khalid Azim alias Ashraf and others.

Mayawati then in a series of tweets said that her party had taken note of the reports of the FIR lodged against the former MP and five-time MLA Atiq, Parveen and others in the murders of Umesh Pal and his bodyguards.

“Taking a serious note, the BSP has decided that Shaista Parveen will be expelled from the party if she is proven guilty in the inquiry in this matter,” she had said in a Twitter post.

Speaking to reporters at BSP state headquarters on Monday, the BSP chief said the situation has changed in Prayagraj in view of the new facts that surfaced in connection with Umesh Pal’s murder and because Parveen is absconding after her name surfaced in the case. “In this situation, our party will not give mayoral ticket to Atiq’s wife and any other member of their family from there,” Mayawati said.

Whether or not Parveen will be expelled from the party, she said, “A decision will be taken soon as far as the question of keeping her wife in the party is concerned after keeping in view the facts that emerge once she is arrested.” “Our party respects the law and is not above it,” she further said.

On Saturday, the state government doubled the reward money on Shaista Parveen from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 on information leading to her arrest, a police officer said. While being on the run, Shaista had filed a petition in a Prayagraj court stating that the police had “illegally detained” her two minor sons on the evening of February 24.