BSP holds dharna to condemn ‘conspiracy’ against March 15 rally

BSP party workers demonstrating at collectorate in Lucknow on Thursday against oppositions attack on Mayawati for accepting a huge garland made of currency note during her rally. Photo:Subir Roy

In a State-wide dharna and demonstrations at the district headquarters on Thursday, the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party condemned the opposition “conspiracy” to defame the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and party president, Mayawati on the March 15 rally and the currency garland issue. Speakers also likened the presence of deadly bees at the dais of the March 15 rally to a conspiracy by the opposition.

Ms. Mayawati herself conducted an aerial survey of the BSP’s protest programme in different parts of the State.

The main function in the State capital was held at the District Collectorate where the BSP released photographs, downloaded from the internet, showing the UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi wearing a currency garland notes purportedly presented to her at a rally, and that of senior BJP leader, Lal Krishna Advani wearing a gold crown.

Addressing the gathering of BSP workers, party general secretary and PWD Minister, Naseemuddin Siddiqui said that Ms. Mayawati was being targeted by the opposition parties since she was a Dalit –ki-beti. Criticising the Samajwadi Party, Mr. Siddiqui said Mulayam Singh and his family members owned property worth crores of rupees. He called upon the party workers to expose the opposition conspiracy against the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister.

Condemning the opposition parties for raising a hue and cry over the currency garlands presented to Ms. Mayawati, Mr. Siddiqui said the garlands were made from donations given by BSP workers and was a reiteration of their trust and faith in her.

The other speakers at the Lucknow rally comprising the local BSP functionaries said the opposition parties had hatched a conspiracy to derail the March 15 rally to commemorate the silver jubilee of the party and the birth anniversary of its founder, Kanshi Ram. Attempts were also made by the opposition parties to create mayhem by letting loose a swarm of bees, they said. Ms. Mayawati was lauded for maintaining a calm posture and continuing with her address despite the lurking threat of the bees.

Thursday’s State-wide dharna and demonstrations were planned by the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister in the wake of the controversy generated by her accepting the currency garlands twice in Lucknow.

Meanwhile, the Congress has attacked the BSP’s attempts to defame Ms. Gandhi. The chief spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Subodh Srivastava assailed the ruling party and said that the Congress president only wore ordinary garlands and not currency garlands like the BSP chief. The manner in which currency garlands made of black money were presented to Ms. Mayawati at the March 15 rally in Lucknow, the BSP should adopt the election symbol of “currency chest”, the UPCC spokesman said in a press release issued on Thursday.