I was like a pawn guarding wazir: Kushwaha points fingers at Maya

"I was working like a personal servant and worker of the BSP neta," Babu Singh Kushwaha said.

Forced out of ministership and the coming elections over his alleged role in Uttar Pradeshs NRHM scam,Babu Singh Kushwaha has pointed fingers at Chief Minister Mayawati,pointing out that she was in-charge of the Family Welfare Department before he took over.

Once Mayawatis backroom boy,Kushwaha,who had to resign as Family Welfare Minister over the National Rural Health Mission scandal,also alleged a conspiracy behind his removal. The BSP leadership has this character that they put a plant in the pot and pull it out every morning to check if it is growing roots. In my case,it was probably felt that I was growing roots… I was in the BSP for 27 years. I was with her (Mayawati) for 17-18 years. I was working like a personal servant and worker of the BSP neta. There was no let-up in my loyalty. Have you played chess? An officer told me that I was like a pawn guarding a wazir. Some people planted the idea that the pawn was just a step away from wazir and the latter got convinced of it.

Talking to The Indian Express here,Kushwaha said: The NRHM started in 2005-06 in the Mulayam Singh government time. In these six years,I was family welfare minister for less than two years from May 2009 to April 2011. How come only my name has been dragged? Before me,she (Mayawati) was in charge… but entire talk is about my tenure and nothing about others. UP bureaucrats including Shashank Shekhar and Fateh Bahadur and Naseemuddin Siddiqui did it under a conspiracy.

The Comptroller and Auditor General incidentally conducted performance audit of the NRHM from 2005 to 2011. About his own role,Kushwaha says,The CAG has called it a procedural mistake; it didnt say a scam. To my knowledge,no file came to me and there was no signature of mine… But if there is any signature,it must have been inadvertant.

The NRHM was an excuse to sideline me, Kushwaha says. How come these incidents (alleged murders of those linked with the NRHM scam) only took place in the capital (Lucknow),while you have media everywhere!

He sees a conspiracy to clip his wings as an OBC leader. It started within two-three months of the 2009 parliamentary elections. I could sense that they were cutting me step-by-step. My removal was not sudden. If the CBI had not got involved,Kushwaha adds,the state government could have long ago made me Dr Sachan (an NRHM accused who was found dead).

Kushwaha asks why he kept being targeted even after he had resigned as minister. I started looking after party affairs but that was also taken away. Siddiqui,Shashank Singh and Fateh Bahadur opened a counter to get cases registered against me and those who did were rewarded with chairmens posts and party tickets. For instance,Brijmohan Kushwaha had got an FIR registerd against me. He was made chairman and now given the party ticket. Another minister (Medical & Health Minister Anant Kumar Mishra) had resigned along with me; his wife has been given a ticket.

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According to him,when he told Mayawati he was being framed,She said I should not make enemies and she would take care of it.

Notwithstanding the corruption charges against him,Kushwaha,whose community constitutes about 8.5 per cent of the electorate,is in huge demand among BJP candidates. Asked about the controversy following his induction into the party,forcing him to give up BJP membership,Kushwaha says: I worked for the BSP for 27 years and this happened… But I was in the BJP for three days and they fought for me. The BJP didnt say no to me. I wrote a letter to Gadkariji that my membership should be suspended to avoid any controversy. I oppose 4.5 per cent sub-quota for Muslims from within the 27 per cent OBC quota. The BJP also opposes it.

He has a stock message to OBC supporters at election meetings: While I was still in the BSP,there were attempts to demolish my house and my school and cases were filed against me and my supporters in Banda,Faizabad,Allahabad,Jhansi… If you vote for the BSP,you know who will form the government and then what will be meted out to me.

Asked about his future plans,Kushwaha says with a wry smile: Powerful people in the government have made such a plan for me that it will take me a long time to plan my future. I became a victim in filmi style. Investigations are on. I will be able to say many things after it is over.”