An elaborate plan by the Congress to shame UP Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati into not celebrating her birthday following the killing of a PWD engineer, allegedly by supporters of the CM and a BSP MLA, has backfired.
Mayawati today declared that her birthday celebrations would carry on as scheduled because her government had already arrested everyone involved in the killing. She also rejected the demand that the probe into the case be handed over to the CBI, arguing that her government had already arrested everyone responsible for the killing.
In fact, the boot was on the other foot as Mayawati alleged that the Samajwadi Party was creating a law and order situation in the state to embarrass her government.
Calling the engineer’s death ‘unfortunate’, Mayawati said this was a propaganda by the Opposition parties.
Speaking at a press conference, she said, “The murder of the engineer seems to have been inspired by commissioning of contracts. And it is unfortunate that this crime has been linked to fund-raising for my birthday.”
“My birthday will be celebrated as ‘dhikkar diwas’ (day of shame),” she added. She also said that all those named in the FIR were PWD employees.
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“We do not raise funds from industrialists, like the Congress and BJP. And if any worker tries to forcibly extort money he will be taken to task,” an angry Mayawati said.
She also said that the BSP government restored law and order in the state after Mulayam Singh’s rule.
Samajwadi Party workers stopped trains in various parts of the state today as part of their state-wide ‘bandh’ called to protest against the murder.
Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav even demanded the Centre’s intervention in the issue.
A BSP MLA, Shekhar Tiwari, and his supporters have been booked for murder of a PWD engineer, Manoj Gupta. The engineer had allegedly refused to pay a donation for Mayawati’s birthday.