Click to play videoLucknow: A defiant Bahujan Samaj Party on Wednesday gifted another garland made up of currency notes worth Rs 18 lakh to party chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.
Mayawati was given the Rs 18 lakh garland at a press conference in Lucknow just a couple of days after she was given another garland, reportedly worth Rs 2 crore and made up entirely of Rs 1000 notes during a rally to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the BSP.
The garland presented on Wednesday was made up of notes of different denomination.
"Our party organises these rallies for the poor. The Opposition has objected to Mayawati's garland and making it an issue. BSP is very angry about all these allegations being made against Mayawati. We will continue to garland Mayawati with currency note garlands," said BSP leader Nasimuddin Siddiqui at the press conference.
Another BSP MLA Nawab Kazim Ali Khan also justified the cash garland presented to Mayawati calling it the love and affection of the party workers.
"It was a very important rally (foundation day rally on Monday) for BSP and this was a way for the party workers to show love and affection for the Chief Minister. Even at weddings you give money. This is Indian tradition. Every political party and leader gets garlands made up of notes. If the party workers gave her a gift, what is the harm in that? The display of wealth was in Lok Sabha were MPs are bought and sold," said Khan.
The BSP has been severely criticised for accepting the multi-crore garland on Monday but the party remains clearly defiant.
The Income Tax department has decided to check the source of the garland presented to Mayawati on Monday.
The investigation will be carried out by the I-T department in Lucknow. The department will investigate the origin of the Rs 1000 notes used in the garland, the bank they have been sourced from and the bank account holder's identity.
The IT department will also probe the genuineness of the currency notes, which could be seized.
It has also asked its intelligence wing to gather information about the funding of the BSP's 25th year celebrations.
Meanwhile, Mayawati has called a party meeting of all MPs and legislators in Lucknow to discuss the controversy over the multi-crore garland and the party's strategy.
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