BJP’s new headache: Maya shows up in Bhopal, talks in future tense

Addressing her first political rally outside Uttar Pradesh after she quit as the state chief minister, BSP leader Mayawati today buttressed ...

Addressing her first political rally outside Uttar Pradesh after she quit as the state chief minister, BSP leader Mayawati today buttressed her new-found slant towards the Congress and reiterated her antagonism against the BJP.

Without once referring to the fortunes of Congress CM Digvijay Singh in the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls slated for November, she said, in the context of his Dalit agenda, that if the Congress chose to ‘‘correct the mistakes of its elders then it would be a good thing.’’

Mayawati denied any personal involvement in the Taj corridor case and flayed allegations of having amassed wealth during her term in office. She said such charges would prove expensive for the BJP and threatened to repay such actions with interest.

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‘‘After I have left office, the BJP has attempted to exert political pressure on me under the guise of the Taj corridor case. Construction had to take place but to determine whether it was legal or illegal is the job of officials, not the CM. Otherwise why are there IAS, PCS and IPS officers attached with the CM? The action should be against officials,’’ she said.

‘‘It is being propagated that I have become the world’s wealthiest woman. On August 25 at the all-India BSP convention I had revealed all the property I own and this is filed with the Income-Tax department. Such a political conspiracy could prove expensive for the BJP. The BJP will not always remain in power at the Centre. One day the BSP will also come to power in the Centre. Today the BJP is misusing this power. The BSP can also misuse this power and I will not not let them off easily,’’ she fumed.

While referring to these allegations, Mayawati took aim at the PM himself. She added that shortly before she left office she had travelled abroad and it was being alleged that she has used the trip to stash funds in foreign banks, ‘‘Manuwadis could not stomach the fact that the daughter of a dalit had travelled abroad’’.

Such charges, she added were baseless and called for an inquiry by a panel of eminent persons of known integrity to look into the assets of the Prime Minister and his kin as well as that of leaders of other political parties and their kin. Such an inquiry could not be conducted by the CBI, she added, because the agency was directly under the PM.

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And in addition to the BJP, it was Mulayam Singh who was the subject of her wrath. She added that BJP leaders themselves were saying that Mulayam would play the role of Hanuman in the construction of the Ram Temple.

The BSP, however, she added, would abide by the court judgment, ‘‘The ASI report with evidence has been submitted but the court has not given any decision. If the BJP decides to construct the temple based on this report, the BSP will oppose such a step,’’ she said.