Recall EC man, demands Kalyan

Kalyan has charged the EC man in Lucknow, Noor Mohammad, with misguiding the Central Commission about the UP Government’s decisions.“He does not show the impartiality required for the job,” the chief minister said.

Kalyan expressed the hope that the EC would act of its own accord to salvage its “honour” by recalling Mohammad. He cited the “tension” on Mohammad’s face when he heard of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s resounding success in the recent Parishad polls, as evidence of the latter’s partisan behaviour.

“The UP Government is indicted everytime without it having done anything illegal or unfair while the Centre gets away despite the PM’s sops to `his home state’ of Punjab and the North-east,” Kalyan said. The Centre appointed a new Governor for Goa though some one could easily have held joint charge of the state till a new Lok Sabha had been elected, he said.

Similarly, Kalyan said he was amazed at the EC decision to ignore Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan’s announcement about starting EMUs that would cost the Exchequer Rs 250 crore. He also pointed out that the EC had remained mute when the Haryana Government announced new schemes during the Governor’s address.

Defending his decision to include the achievements of his four-month-old Ministry and some new development projects in the Governor’s speech to the next session of the UP assembly that begins here on the 27th, he said, “The EC cannot issue directives about not making announcements in the Assembly, which is a Constitutional body.”

The chief minister also criticised the EC directive prohibiting all ministers from unfurling the National flag on Republic Day. “It is not only a curtailment of a citizen’s fundamental right to unfurl his National flag but also an insult to the National flag and Republic Day,” he said, wondering how hoisting the tricolour could possibly influence voters.

Kalyan claimed that his recent decisions had lessened hostility between Muslims and Hindus. Asked about the BJP’s role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid, he said “Who remembers Babri now ? People remember the Azadari issue,” referring to the Shia-Sunni clashes in Lucknow.

He claims to have effected a truce between the two sects and says, “Leaders of both the communities came to an Iftaar party at my place recently and also offered namaz together.”The chief minister claimed that Muslims had called the bluff of those promising re-construction of the Mosque in Ayodhya. “They know a temple already exists there and no one can construct a mosque at the same spot,” said Singh.

Sonia warned

Kalyan on Sunday warned Sonia Gandhi against contesting for the Lok Sabha from Amethi, lest she loose badly. “The Congress has become irrelevant in UP and not even Sonia Gandhi’s elixir can revive a party as dead as the Congress. At the most she can enthuse the party workers but she can not win seats,” he said. The BJP vice-president predicted that his party would get between 65 and 70 of the 85 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh.