Click to play videoLucknow: UP Chief Minister Mayawati on Wednesday accused the Congress of defaming her and stalling her government’s development plans—the latest round of acrimony between her and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi.
“The Congress has opposed our development schemes such as Ganga Expressway from Noida to Ballia,” said Mayawati at a press conference in Lucknow to answer Sonia’s allegation.
The Congress chief alleged on Tuesday the UP Government tried to block her rally in Rai Bareli and took back land allotted for a rail coach factory because it was not interested in the state’s development. "If need be, I am also prepared to go to jail," Sonia had said when asked whether she would support a 'jail bharo agitation' by the Congress.
Mayawati shot back by saying: “Sonia did drama at Rae Bareli and went back to Delhi. We did not stop her from doing a rally.”
“The UPA Government has not given any financial assistance to us. The Congress has raised the issue of rail coach factory at Rae Bareli to defame my government,” she said.
“For the Congress, Rai Bareli is entire Uttar Pradesh,” said Mayawati, referring to Sonia’s statement that Rae Bareli belonged to the Gandhi family.
"Congress is worried only about Rae Bareli but I am worried about the whole of Uttar Pradesh," Mayawati told a press conference, while countering Gandhi's charges that her government was against development after it cancelled a land allotment for the railway coach factory.
How many jobs "have been given to people of Rae Bareli in past 44 years of Congress rule in Uttar Pradesh and 48 years of rule at the Centre.
"The bhoomipujan for the project is a mere drama for taking political mileage ahead of Loksabha elections," the BSP supremo said. "Like Saifai was entire state for Samajwadi Party, Raebareli and Amethi are the entire state for Congress. There are already a number of factories in the district, Congress should think beyond Rae Bareli and avoid regional imbalance," Mayawati said.
Mayawati announced a committee under an officer of the rank of a principal secretary would look into the dispute regarding rail coach factory land and submit a report in three days. The UP Cabinet will take a final decision after that.
Sources tell CNN-IBN that the Central Government is thinking of reviving cases against Mayawati. Mayawati has been accused of having wealth greater than known her sources of income and evading tax on Rs 65 lakh allegedly received as gifts.
Mayawati announced a committee under an officer of the rank of a principal secretary would look into the dispute regarding rail coach factory land and submit a report in three days. The UP Cabinet will take a final decision after that.
This apart many of her dream projects are also on hold: the Rs 3,500 crore Taj international airport cum aviation hub near Noida and Rs 30,000 crore.
Stung by Mayawati cancelling the land allotted for the coach factory and on her rally, Sonia on Tuesday asserted that the state government was creating hindrances in the development efforts launched by the Centre.
On Saturday night, the Uttar Pradesh government had taken back the 400 acres it had allotted to the Indian Railways for the project in Rai Bareli’s Lalganj locality. The Mayawati government also announced that it would return the compensation money to the railways.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Monday ordered status quo on the land while hearing a writ petition by the Northern Railway and a public interest litigation filed by residents of Lalganj.
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