Mulayam target at Maya’s mega rally

Also, an FIR was filed at the Hazratganj police station against Yadav, Amar Singh, Azam Khan and five other Samajwadi Party leaders for tampering with the CDs distributed by them to the media to ‘‘tarnish the image of BSP leaders’’. ‘‘Yeh pahla pardafash hain (This is the first revelation),’’ she told the rally which was called Mahapardafash rally. ‘‘You will continue to get more such news,’’ she said.

On their part, Samajwadi Party leaders Yadav and Amar Singh dismissed the charges as bogus and an act of ‘‘political vendetta.’’

Mayawati said her government was probing into the misuse of the government money disbursed by Mulayam to his relatives out of the CM’s discretionary fund. ‘‘There are nearly 35,000 such cases and all will be probed. Till date, 178 cases have been registered in 40 districts of the state against beneficiaries of the discretionary funds. Even Motilal Vora had distributed Rs 18 crore in the same manner during his eight-month tenure as the Governor of the state. He will also not be spared and my government will probe those cases also,’’ said Mayawati.

Mayawati reached the venue in a helicopter along with Kanshi Ram, one hour behind the schedule, but her supporters waited patiently. Conjuring up images of gods vanquishing demons, Mayawati took the stage thundering, ‘‘Lord Krishna was born to kill Kans, Ram killed Ravana. I have taken birth to end the misdeeds of Mulayam’’.

Dressed in her trademark pinky-peach-coloured salwar kameez and diamond earrings, Mayawati bellowed hotly against the SP, Congress and ‘‘their chamchas’’ while being cooled by the split air-conditioner that blew chill air on to the expansive stage.

Sweating, sun-burned bodies stuck to each other as far as eye can see, and the wave of acknowledgement and titter of applause came only when the cue was given from the front-line squatters.

And, so, as Mayawati went into the reasons of holding the rally, the crowds let out bursts of dry-throated cheers only when she had something new to say. ‘Behenji’ got her applause when she launched into her trademark outbursts, threats and name-calling.

Typically, Mayawati sneered at, and challenged her opponents for hurling accusations and abuses at her on the Tape drama. ‘‘The two CDs released by the SP were shot and edited fraudulently to suit their political needs. It was released hoping I would be discredited and then they could break my party. But with my Purdafash rally, let me see how these parties will have the guts now,’’ she taunted at her absentee opponents.

Satisfied, she then skillfully moved to the second episode of the Tape drama, where she reportedly insulted Hindu gods and icons, and sent ripples of applause when she said, ‘‘I am not against Hindu dharma but I am certainly against those who practice untouchability.’’ It could not have been addressed to a more apt crowd, and cheers resounded when Mayawati threatened to ‘‘embrace’’ Buddhism if the ‘‘evils’’ in Hinduism persist.

‘‘Hinduism is still full of evil practices,’’ she shouted into the mike, ‘‘Dalits are still not allowed entry into temples in many parts of the country. I appeal to Hindu acharyas to remove the evils prevailing in Hinduism and its rituals. Otherwise, I along with my supporters will be forced to embrace Buddhism,’’ she ended the segment with aplomb.

Mayawati also chided her critics, including ‘‘the media’’ for accusing her of spending extravagant sums of money for celebrating Ambedkar Jayanti. ‘‘If Jawaharlal Nehru’s birthday can be celebrated as Children’s Day, Charan Singh’s as Kisan Day and Dr Radhakrishnan’s as Literacy Day, why does it hurt people’s stomachs when Babasaheb’s birthday is Suvidha Day and my birthday is Swabhiman Din?’’ She answered it herself. ‘‘Because we are Dalits.’’

Reacting to Mayawati’s action and threats, SP leaders Mulayam Singh and Amar Singh said they were ready to go to jail. Mulayam said if he could bear the wrath of Indira Gandhi’s regime, Mayawati could not scare him.

Asserting that he was ready to be arrested and would prefer jail than being ‘‘a witness to the horrors of Mayawati Raj’’, Amar Singh said the charges are ‘‘bogus’’. The High Court, the CAG, and the state assembly had given a clean chit to Mulayam Singh in the matter, he said. Besides, he never used the funds ‘‘to buy huge diamonds, bake massive cakes, or build palatial houses for Kanshi Ram,’’ Amar Singh added.