Union defence minister and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has tense days ahead of him. A hostile BSP-BJP government led by BSP general secretary Mayawati is likely to open up many cases involving SP bigwigs.
Friendly Governor Romesh Bhandari had ensured that the investigations into many of the politically volatile cases are not expedited. In turn, Yadav ensured that the controversial Governor was not removed despite so much hue and cry by the Left parties.
It was due to the solid backing of Yadav that Bhandari could openly come out against Union home minister Indrajit Guptas statement in the Lok Sabha on the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.
The mercy petition of much-talked about MP of Mulayams party, former dacoit queen Phoolan Devi, has been referred to the Governor. Now that Mulayams adversaries have come to rule the state, and given the fact that under a popular rule the Governor has to work on the advise of the aabinet, the fate of Phoolans petition is only a foregone conclusion.
She was to surrender before the court yesterday.
Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh said that we do not desert friends when they are in need, referring to their defence of Bhandari even at the expense of a possible rift in the ruling United Front.
Yadavs defence of Bhandari took even some of his party colleagues by surprise. They wanted Bhandari to go, saying he is unresponsive and does not care for the development of the state.
Questions were raised even at the lavish life styles of the Governor, but perhaps not too much to wean away Yadavs favour.
Now with the installation of a popular government everything is likely to change. Yadav has suddenly been pushed the wall. His aides, including Balram Singh Yadav, who was the health minister in Mulayams government, are facing CBI action for being involved in the Ayurveda scam.
The CBI had asked permission of the state government to initiate proceedings against those who are allegedly involved in the case. The permission was not granted as long as Bhandari ruled the roost. But the Mayawati government would be only too happy to give a go-ahead on the issue.
The Allahabad High court had given adverse remarks on Yadavs role in the Muzaffarnagar firing and further investigation into the case is likely to create more embarassment for him.
Yadav was the Chief Minister when the police had opened fire on peaceful demonstrators demanding a separate state of Uttarakhand on October 2, 1994.
Another case which is likely to give sleepless nights to Yadav is the June 2, 1995 incident when some SP supporters allegedly attacked the state guest house where Mayawati was camping, just when her party had withdrawn support from the Yadav government.
Mayawati in her earlier tenure had appointed a committee, headed by a state bureaucrat Naresh Chandra, which submitted its report later. While Yadav termed the report as biased, the BSP wanted action to be taken on the report.
Mayawati is likely to reshuffle the state bureaucracy, which will also create some problems for the SP chief. The process has already begun and Rohit Nadan was made the director of information and public relations on Thursday. Nandan had served on the same post during the earlier incarnation of Mayawati as Chief Minister.
