M A I N   N E W S

9 Independents leave Maya

Lucknow, October 25
Nine Independent MLAs of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly tonight decided to withdraw support to the Mayawati government.

The decision was “unanimously” taken at a meeting of the Independent MLAs at the residence of Mr Raghuraj Pratap Singh, alias Raja Bhaiya, the legislator from Shahjahanpur.

Mr Pratap Singh told reporters after the meeting that they would meet state Governor Vishnu Kant Shastri and convey to him in writing about their withdrawal of support to Ms Mayawati.

Some prominent dissident BJP MLAs also attended the meeting of the Independents. Among them were Mr Ganga Bhakt Singh, Mr Kovit Kumar Singh and Mr Badshah Singh.

Asked what prompted the withdrawal of support, Mr Raghuraj Pratap Singh accused Ms Mayawati of “humiliation” meted out to Independent MLAs and “subverting” democratic functioning.

She had never fulfilled her promise of meeting MLAs once a week to listen to the problems raised by them.

Replying to a question why some dissident BJP MLAs had gone to meet the Governor, he said they had their own problems, “but we the Independents are united in withdrawing support.”

Independent MLA Raghuraj Pratap Singh alias Raja Bhaiya told reporters here that there was no question of supporting the Government after police raids were conducted at the houses of a couple of dissident Independent MLAs. PTI, UNI

Maya warns Chautala
Tribune News Service

Badshapur (Gurgaon), October 25
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and national Vice-President of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Ms Mayawati today address her party’s “Dhikaar” and “Ninda” rally here in protest against the killing of five Dalits in Dulina in Jhajjar district and criticised Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala for failing to take action against the culprits, including the police personnel. She warned Mr Chautala of a political challenge from the SCs and downtrodden in case the INLD government failed to deliver justice to the bereaved families.

Ms Mayawati gave relief of Rs 2 lakh to the widows of each of the five Dalits from party’s fund and of Rs 1 lakh to each of them from government funds. The widows and kin of the killed in Dulina were present on the occasion.

Addressing the rally, Ms Mayawati demanded arrest of the police personnel and other guilty of the Dulina incident under NASA or POTA compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each of the bereaved families, a government job to the next of kin of the victims. The BSP threatened to oppose Mr Chautala the next Assembly election in the state if the demands were not met.

While she was vocal in her indictment of the INLD government and the police in respect of Dulina incident, she did not mention the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other outfits of the “Sangh Parivar” activists of which were also reported to be part of the mob that killed the Dalits.

Ms Mayawati alleged that the Dalits and the minorities in Haryana felt insecure under INLD government. The law and order had collapsed and the government had no control over police officials. This has been demonstrated by the fact that the policemen of Dulina police post framed a case of cow slaughter against the five Dalits, detained them and later instigated a mob to lynch them. She belittled Mr Chautala visiting the bereaved families only yesterday, after nine days of the incident. She said: “Mr Chautala visited the families to shed crocodile tears only when he learnt that Ms Mayawati was to come here.”

She said that she and her party had brought pressure on the Haryana government for action against the culprits from the Centre. According to her she met Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee when he visited Lucknow on October 19 and demanded the Centre’s intervention for justice to the bereaved families. She also met Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani yesterday and submitted a representation demanding action against the culprits.