The Congress on Tuesday demanded a probe into the funding of BSP's lavish anniversary celebrations in Lucknow yesterday, saying the Centre should look into the "organised loot" in Uttar Pradesh.
"We appealed the government to take cognizance of Mayawati's rally and the garland presented to her. It should be inquired into," Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh told reporters outside Parliament. Singh said "government should look into the organised loot in UP".
During a rally yesterday, BSP chief Mayawati was presented a huge garland made of Rs 1000 notes allegedly worth of Rs 10 to Rs 15 crores. The opposition also claimed that she had spent Rs 200 crore of public money on the 'Maharally'.
Speaking in the same vein, BJP leader Rajnath Singh said "government machinaries were misutilised during the Lucknow rally and the government should look into it."
Accusing Mayawati of violating rules, UP Congress MP Jagadambika Pal said "government should find out where the money came from. Earlier also Mayawati had faced similar allegation." Mahila Congress president Prabha Rao termed it as "indecent and against supreme court directive.
"When the people of the state are facing poverty and price rise situation, these kind of celebrations are indecent and also against the supreme court directive. We hope that the court will take cognizance of it."
However, defending the rally and the garlanding of Maywati, BSP MP Vijay Bahadur Singh claimed that Congress was only trying to "divert the attention from price rise situation by raising such issues.
"What is the big deal in it? There were about 25 lakh people who had come to the rally. It shows people's faith," he said challenging the opposition to give a similar show of strength. PTI
