Maya dares Akhilesh to dismiss ministers with criminal antecedents

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Supremo Mayawati on Tuesday termed the merger of Mukhtar Ansari’s Quami Ekta Dal  (QED) with Samajwadi Party (SP) and its subsequent nullification as ‘theatrics’ and ‘image building’ exercise, saying if CM Akhilesh Yadav was really concerned about law and order he should first dismiss his ministers with “criminal antecedents”.

She charged that the communal atmosphere in the state had been spoilt because of an understanding between SP and BJP and that both the parties wanted to give the coming polls a Hindu-Muslim colour by instigating communal riots.

“In order to cover up its misdeeds, a drama on the lines of the one enacted last time concerning D P Yadav was replayed over the inclusion of QED and its subsequent nullification... This will have no effect on the people of the state,” Mayawati told reporters here.

“Such theatrics is not going to help in image building of the head of the Samajwadi Party government... If he is really serious and sensitive towards improving law and order situation, he should first dismiss all his ministers having criminal antecedents and act tough on 'goonda' and mafia elements in the party,” she said.

The BSP chief, however, said this is not going to happen as, if implemented, this will “fill all the jails in the state and the party will be left with none”. Mayawati said SP made “full use” of QED in the Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishad polls before shunting it out and now Ansari and others will also take their help by ensuring that weak candidates are fielded against them by SP in the coming polls.