Maya now has more support; but how did MLAs in jail meet?

‘‘This is a complete mockery of democracy. The CM Office has faxed letters, giving details of support from independents. The official machinery’s being misused to give the impression that the Mayawati government’s comfortable,’’ Munna Singh, RLD MLC told The Indian Express.

The letter faxed late Monday evening claimed that all nine MLAs held a ‘‘meeting’’ and reiterated their support to the Mayawati government. ‘‘When was the meeting held and where?’’ is what is being asked. Officials have no answer.

The ‘‘meeting’’ is at the centre of the controversy because of the ‘‘presence’’ of Madan Bhaiyya, a proclaimed absconder, and Mukhtar Ansari, charged under POTA and currently lodged at the Tihar Jail in Delhi. Madan Bhaiyya, accused of heinous crimes, has been eluding UP police for a long time.

The release issued from the CM’s office did not specify how Madan Bhaiyya and Ansari managed to attend the ‘‘meeting.’’ The press release bore signatures of Madan Bhaiyya and eight other legislators, including Ansari.

The remaining seven MLAs said to have been
present at the ‘‘meeting’’ were Amar Singh Yadav, Mithlesh Kumar Singh, Mahesh Trivedi, Devendra Nagpal, Vijay Singh, Hoshiyar Singh and Jitendra Kumar Jaiswal.

According to the release, these MLAs decided to continue support to the government. When contacted, an official in the CM’s office claimed that Vijay Singh, MLA from Farrukhabad, had called him up to say that they (the nine independents) had held a meeting to support the government. He claimed they insisted on issuing a joint press release to reiterate their support to the government.

‘‘I do not know where they held the meeting,’’ the official said, adding that the press note was issued on the basis of their signed statement. He did not comment on how the CM’s secretariat could function as a political party’s office.

Meanwhile ,the BJP continued to stand by the BSP, its coalition partner. ‘‘There’s no threat to the Mayawati government. The Opposition lacks the numbers. The Opposition has not come together to bring down the government but has an eye on the the Lok Sabha polls where they will find it difficult to defeat the BJP-BSP coalition,’’ UP BJP chief Vinay Katiyar said.

The BJP’s also spreading the word that there could be an expansion of the Mayawati ministry after June 18. Katiyar said the same today. But clearly, the idea is to keep the flock together.