BJP used CBI to fix me, alleges Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati took on the BJP in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, inviting angry reactions from the opposition party.

The ensuing verbal duel led to adjournment of the House for a brief period.

The BSP leader alleged that the BJP-led NDA government had manoeuvred the CBI to act against her, in order to get political mileage.

Mayawati was apparently irked by the BJP’s remarks in the Lok Sabha that the government used the CBI to pressurise her. The BJP claimed that Mayawati had buckled under pressure and refrained from supporting the motion against FDI.

Mayawati described the BJP as a “fox which failed to get the grapes.” The BJP members vociferously protested the remark and claimed that she was deviating from the issue and making unparliamentary comments. However, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kamalnath supported Mayawati. Following the war of words between the BJP and the BSP members, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House for 10 minutes. After the House reassembled, he assured that unparliamentary words will be expunged. Mayawati alleged that the BJP had misused the CBI by registering cases against her after she refused to forge an electoral alliance with the party.

“I made it clear to them that I can make alliances for forming a government, but can not fight elections with them. It was not possible for us to sacrifice the principle of secularism,” she said.

She alleged that the BJP used offensive language on the issue of reservations in promotions for SC/ST. The BJP members, particularly Vinay Katiyar,  repeatedly obstructed her speech.