Mayawati threatens to withdraw support

Bhopal, Feb 10: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Supremo and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Mayawati on Sunday said, “As soon the budget session would be over, our party (Bahujan Samaj Party) would rethink whether to extend support to the UPA Government at the Centre or not.”

"The Budget session of Uttar Pradesh Assembly is in progress and withdrawal of support to the UPA would be considered once the session gets over on March 10," she said while addressing 'Sarva Jan Samaj Bhaichara Banao Maharally' organised by the BSP at the Lal Parade Ground.  Alleging that the political rivals including Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been framing charges against her after getting worried over the widening base, the UP Chief Minister said the center government has been exerting political pressure on her by reopening the Taj Corridor case as was done by the BJP in the past.

My chances of getting trapped in any political manipulation are very few and the party is seriously contemplating on withdrawal of the outside support in second week of March, the BSP President added. Condemning Congress for getting personal by attacking her 82-year-old parents and other relatives by misusing the official machinery, Ms Mayawati while addressing the huge gathering said the attempts have caused immense pain to her. Vowing to teach lesson to such people, the Chief Minister of neighbouring state said she would make sure that these persons get aware of the pain caused to her once her party comes to power in the centre.

Personal attacks are not a sign of healthy politics and such practice leaves wrong precedents, she added. Favouring reservation for the poor in private firms, at least those executing government projects, she promised if voted to power in the next Lok Sabha polls, her government would provide for reservation for the poor including the upper castes. She asserted that the BSP is not an anti-upper caste organization and urged people to vote for it during next Assembly elections. Mayawati looks quite perturbed with Centre's denial of SPG cover to her in the wake of probable threats to her life and held it as an attempt of the Congress led government to mount pressure on her.