Mayawati snubs UP CM Akhilesh Yadav, says dismiss ministers with criminal antecedents

BSP Supremo Mayawati today termed the merger of Mukhtar Ansari's QED with SP and its subsequent nullification as "theatrics" and an "image building" exercise. Mayawati said that if Akhilesh Yadav is really concerned about law and order he should first dismiss his ministers with "criminal antecedents".

She charged that the communal atmosphere in the state had been spoilt because of an understanding between SP and BJP and that both the parties wanted to give the coming polls a Hindu-Muslim colour by instigating communal riots.

"In order to cover up its misdeeds, a drama on the lines of the one enacted last time concerning DP Yadav was replayed over the inclusion of QED and its subsequent nullification...This will have no effect on the people of the state," Mayawati said.

"Such theatrics is not going to help in image building of the head of the Samajwadi Party government... If he is really serious and sensitive towards improving law and order situation, he should first dismiss all his ministers having criminal antecedents and act tough on 'goonda' and mafia elements in the party," she said.

The BSP chief, however, said this is not going to happen as, if implemented, this will "fill all the jails in the state and the party will be left with none".

Mayawati said SP made "full use" of QED in the Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishad polls before shunting it out and now Ansari and others will also take their help by ensuring that weak candidates are fielded against them by SP in the coming polls.

On her charge of dismal law and order in the state, Mayawati said the situation was "so bad" that even those who have to uphold the law are being "targeted".

"The morale of criminal elements enjoying the patronage of SP is so high that they are also targetting policemen and instead of being sensitive towards this, the SP government is doling out compensation to matryrs and freeing itself of all its responsibilities," Mayawati said.-PTI