STF report: Kalyan seeks Centre’s help

More so because there are differences within the state BJP on how to handle the report. State party chief Rajnath Singh has ruled out action against any minister as he feels no “links” can be attributed by virtue of names appearing in Shukla’s diary.

But the JBSP, which is itself divided on the issue of its leadership, seems to be in panic. Unsure about the Chief Minister’s strategy, partymen are busy issuing statementsdenying any links with Shukla — even though they are publicly putting up a brave front.

In fact, in July the row over leadership led to a split in the party. JBSP MP D P Yadav became national president and Ram Kushwaha state president. And supporters of party president Chowdhary Narendra Singh refused to accept them as their leaders. But yesterday at a press conference, Chowdhary went out of his way to defend his ministers — namely Small Irrigation Minister Markandey Chand. He said there was a conspiracy to malign his party and denied that any of his ministers had any connection with Shukla.

Daring the state government to prove the charges, Chand also declared that neither he nor his ancestors had any links with Shukla. No police officer, he said, had ever questioned him about these allegations. Addressing newsmen today, D P Yadav also denied any connection with Shukla or alleged Dawood frontman Romesh Sharma, who is now in custody. However, he alleged that Chowdhary had links with Romesh Sharma. Hesaid it was Chowdhary who had requested N D Tiwari to give a Congress ticket to Sharma, and at one party meeting even invited him.

Yadav said Chowdhary has no right to issue any statement or hold a press conference on behalf of the party, and asked Kalyan Singh to probe his links with criminals.

The STF report, which was handed over to the state government yesterday, led to a controversy ever since a section of the press published portions of it alleging a nexus between Shukla and of some ministers in the state cabinet.