In a bid to shrug off criticism and deflect the heat generated by the videotape controversy, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today claimed Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee was fully convinced that the tape had been doctored to malign her.Emerging from a 75 minute-meeting with Vajpayee, Mayawati said: ‘‘Mujhe PM ne aashirwad diya hai ki himmat aur hausle ke saath dati raho (The PM has blessed me to carry on with courage and determination). I have placed all the facts before the PM and he is fully convinced that the videotape is doctored.’’Referring to her letter to Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani — the contents of which were published by The Indian Express on Saturday — she said she may go public at a later stage.Despite Opposition clamour for tabling the letter in the Lok Sabha, Advani had declined. His stand was backed by both Vajpayee and Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi.Mayawati, who met Advani yesterday, said she briefed Vajpayee on the political developments in UP ‘‘of the last two-three days.’’ She claimed Vajpayee told her the BSP-BJP alliance government was doing fine in UP and wanted her to strengthen it further. On her part, Mayawati made it clear that the BSP would contest the 2004 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the BJP in UP.On the Samajwadi Party demand for a CBI inquiry into the tape controversy, Mayawati said the Opposition was making such demands because ‘‘they fear their MLAs are deserting them.’’She said though she had given a list of 211 MLAs in her government’s support to the Governor, ‘‘we won the confidence motion with 217 votes. This time, the Samajwadi Party was unsure of the number of votes they would get. That is why they created a ruckus in the Assembly and did not press for a division.’’
