Now there are three more months for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati to hand over power to her coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But as she reaches the half-way mark of her second chief ministerial stint, Mayawati faces a host of problems, mostly from the Union Defence Minister and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav. There are allegations of harassment of SP workers; of giving official patronage to killers of rival leaders; of going overboard in glorifying leaders such as Dr B.R. Ambedkar; and of constructing the Ambedkar Park spending Rs 75 crore. Mulayam Singh Yadav has lodged a series of complaints against her with the Prime Minister, the Union Home Minister, the UP Governor and the President.Yet, Mayawati remains unfazed. Just after her successful Etawah rally to counter Mulayam's Halla Bol, the Chief Minister spoke to SHARAD GUPTA. Excerpts: You are accused of using official machinery to harass Samajwadi Party workers. How many SP workers have so far been arrested and how many killed since you took over on March 21 this year?I had launched an anti-crime drive as soon as I took over as Chief Minister and so far 98,000 people have been arrested. What can I do if Mulayam Singh owns all criminals as his party workers? The Union Home Minister has asked about the inaction against criminals in your own party and the BJP?I have replied to everything I was asked. I said that persons who had criminal record in the BSP were earlier members of the Samajwadi Party. But once they joined the BSP, they have stopped indulging in anti-social activities. Even gentlemen take to crime in the company of criminals and criminals become gentlemen in good company. Regarding allegations about criminals in the BJP, I made a thorough enquiry and found there were no criminals within the party.Samajwadi Party leaders and BJP leaders such as Kalyan Singh have complained against the misuse of Prevention of Atrocities on Scheduled Caste Scheduled Tribes Act? The Act was never put to proper use by previous Governments and a lot of hue and cry is being made only because I have ordered to use the Act to prevent dalits from being harassed by upper-caste landlords. I have been in constant touch with Kalyan Singh but he never mentioned any such case to me.Mulayam's complaint to the Union Home Minister that over 10,000 of his party workers had been arrested under the Act, is a lie. Only 6,000 cases have been registered and only 3,000 persons arrested under the Act since I took over. So where is the question of arresting 10,000 SP workers?Mulayam Singh is the Defence Minister and he should study the Act before opening his mouth. It's a Central Act and instead of asking the State Government to scrap it, he should persuade the United Front constituents to repeal the Act. But, I know no one will agree to it because it will portray them as anti-Dalits and as per vote-bank politics, they can not afford to antagonise the Dalits. But Mulayam Singh has given a call for jail bharo from June 20 and even former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has announced indefinite fast against deteriorating law and order in UP from August 15. Don't you perceive any threat to your Government?Deve Gowda is a jobless man today. He is neither prime minister nor chief minister. He is not wanted even in his home state. That is why he is trying to assert himself in Uttar Pradesh. As for Mulayam's jail bharo, I am already putting all anti-social elements behind bars. Since most of the SP workers are criminals, his call will make my task easier. It's better that they themselves walk into prisons before the law catches up with them. I don't perceive any danger to my Government from such minor agitations.Why do you think Samajwadi Party leaders have suddenly started condemning Ambedkar?Mulayam Singh knows very well that he can not wean away Dalits from the BSP for Dr Ambedkar and his teachings have been a cementing factor for dalits and my party. Therefore, he is trying to win over the upper caste by abusing Baba Saheb. You are accused of being anti-Yadav, of removing all Yadav officers from key positions. Why this caste bias?My actions are not determined by caste but competence. I recently posted a Yadav as DM in Sultanpur, D.P. Yadav is an MP from my party. Even the convenor of Faizabad division of the BSP is a Yadav. Similarly, I have been equally harsh with incompetent Scheduled Caste officers like the Budaun DM.Why do you react so sharply, even abusing Mulayam at the slightest opportunity, saying violence will be met with violence? I am not weaker than him. I always reply skillfully. But what to do, persons like him listen only to the language of the baton (dande ki bhasha samjhate hain). He is a frustrated man because he has failed to pin me down and also because his partymen are deserting him. He says he will hang me upside down. Lekin jab hum unko pahale hi seedha kar denge woh hamain kaise ulta kar payega (But when I have already set him straight, what can he do to me now?).Does it befit the Defence Minister to barge inside Budaun district jail with hundreds of supporters and make a public speech there? He has scant regard for the law. That is why I have written to the President and the Prime Minister demanding his dismissal from the Union cabinet.You are also accused of misusing public money by lavishly spending money from the Contingency Fund on the Ambedkar Park. Even the CAG has sent a team to audit the accounts?Any amount of money spent on monuments constructed after great leaders like Dr Ambedkar is no misuse.
