Lucknow, Nov 21: Accusing the opposition of hatching a political conspiracy to defame her government, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today claimed the decision on bringing the resolution to split the state was taken under “compulsion”.
“The BSP government was already taking initiative for the reorganisation of the state and the decision to bring a resolution in the Assembly was taken under compulsion as the Centre was not taking any decision in this regard,” Mayawati told reporters here.
She said the resolution would be sent to the Centre soon. “Allegations of opposition parties terming the resolution as a political stunt are entirely wrong as immediately after forming the government in 2007, a letter was sent to the Prime Minister in this regard,” she said.
“When the Centre took no decision on this, the government was forced to bring a resolution after getting it approved by the cabinet,” she said.
She said the opposition claims of the government being in minority were entirely “baseless and false”.
“I strongly reject the allegations which are part of a big political conspiracy to weaken the government,” Mayawati alleged.
“I will like to question opposition parties that if some MLAs are not contesting elections willingly, have they ceased to be members of the party,” she asked.
Observing that some MLAs and ministers were facing Lokayukta inquiry, she said, “While resignation was taken from some ministers, few others were removed so that the government cannot be accused of shielding anyone”.
She said that in such cases none of the MLAs have ceased to be a member of the party.
“None of the MLAs said that they were no longer with the party. In such a case, how can opposition parties say that the government is in minority,” she said.
Mayawati said that if this was the criteria, opposition parties should look towards the Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh where dozen of MLAs have submitted their resignation on Telangana issue.
“A number of MPs of the Centre are in jail and there are other examples, but neither the Congress nor any other opposition parties talk about the central government being in minority,” Mayawati said.
“When it happens in UP, discussions start about the government being in minority. It's a big political conspiracy against the party and the government. I clearly see an anti-Dalit mentality behind it,” she alleged.
She said the government was not at all in the minority and has numbers in excess of majority and a number of opposition MLAs have joined the BSP.
“From today's incident it is clear that Congress and other opposition parties are against reorganisation of the state and do not want its development,” she alleged.
She also condemned the conduct of the SP and other opposition parties in the Assembly.
“As far as no-confidence motion of the opposition parties is concerned, passage of vote of account proves that the government has the confidence of the house,” Mayawati said, adding people would give a befitting reply to the opposition parties in the forthcoming elections.
“The speaker conducted the house constitutionally, but the opposition parties did not let the house proceed by creating din,” she said.
On a question regarding dissolution of the government before time, she said the party has complete majority and there was no question of any such step.
