The electronic voting machines are &quot;fully tamper-proof, as ever&quot;, the Election Commission said today dismissing claims of BSP supremo Mayawati and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had questioned their reliability.

In a strongly-worded statement, the Commission said &quot;baseless, speculative and wild allegations are being made which deserve to be rejected&quot;.&nbsp;The poll panel said it did not receive specific complaints or concrete material from political parties and candidates about alleged tampering of EVMs during recently held election process.

It said the BSP&#39;s representation on EVM tampering was without any specific allegation and it had rejected the claim of the party.&nbsp;&quot;Such concerns about alleged tamperability of ECI-EVM have been raised earlier also since their introduction including before high court and the Supreme Court.

&quot;These allegations have been dismissed. ECI unequivocally reiterates that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs are not tamperable and integrity of electoral process is preserved,&quot; it said.

The EC&#39;s rebuttal came a day after Mayawati said she will move court against the alleged tampering of EVMs. Kejriwal too had alleged that EVMs may have been tampered with in Punjab, adding &quot;it is about the credibility of the Election Commission and the faith of people in the electoral system. We have strong prima facie evidence of foul play.&quot;

The Commission today said that so far, no one has been able to actually demonstrate that EVMs used by the Election Commission can be tampered with or manipulated.&nbsp;It said &quot;what has been demonstrated or claimed to have been demonstrated is on a privately assembled look-alike of ECI-EVMs and not the actual ECI-EVMs.&quot;

Electronics Corporation of India Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd are the two PSUs which manufacture the EVMs for EC.&nbsp;The poll watchdog assured that its EVMs are tamper-proof and it is &quot;fully satisfied with the integrity of electoral process using EVM&quot;.

Since the year 2000, EVMs have been used in 107 assembly polls and three Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, 2009 and 2014.

It recalled that the &quot;controversy&quot; over the reliability of the machines was raised by political parties after the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. &quot;However, no specific allegation was raised nor could they prove before any court,&quot; the statement said. 
It said in an &quot;extraordinary&quot; move in August, 2009, it had invited those who had expressed reservations about the EVMs to come and demonstrate the flaws in the machines.

Those invited included political parties, petitioners before various courts and some individuals who had been writing to the Commission on this issue.

One hundred EVMs were brought from ten states -- Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh -- and were kept at the Commission&#39;s office here for scrutiny and for any application to establish its alleged fallibility.

&quot;The outcome of this exercise was that none of the persons, who were given the opportunity, could actually demonstrate any tamperability of the ECI-EVMs. They either failed or chose not to demonstrate,&quot; it elaborated.

Some activists had then showed on TV a machine which they claimed can be manipulated. The Commission had countered the allegation stating that the machine was stolen from EVM warehouse in Mumbai and modified by the activists. &quot;Thus it was no longer the machine used by EC,&quot; it said.

Based on consultations with political parties in 2010, the Commission explored the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with a view to enhance transparency.

In VVPAT, a paper slip is generated bearing name and symbol of the candidate along with recording of vote in Control Unit, so that in case of any dispute, paper slip could be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM.

A printer is attached to the balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip remains visible on VVPAT for 07 seconds through a transparent window.

In June 2014, the Commission proposed to implement VVPAT at every polling station in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and sought Rs 3,174 crore for the same from the Law Ministry.

The Commission had earlier this month informed the Supreme Court that it will get the 15.5 lakh VVPATs manufactured in 30 months from the time of release of fund by the government.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(PTI)

&nbsp;

Election Commission's rebuttal came a day after Mayawati said she will move court against the alleged tampering of EVMs during the UP polls

The electronic voting machines are "fully tamper-proof, as ever", the Election Commission said today dismissing claims of BSP supremo Mayawati and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who had questioned their reliability. In a strongly-worded statement, the Commission said "baseless, speculative and wild allegations are being made which deserve to be rejected". The poll panel said it did not receive specific complaints or concrete material from political parties and candidates about alleged tampering of EVMs during recently held election process. It said the BSP's representation on EVM tampering was without any specific allegation and it had rejected the claim of the party. "Such concerns about alleged tamperability of ECI-EVM have been raised earlier also since their introduction including before high court and the Supreme Court. "These allegations have been dismissed. ECI unequivocally reiterates that given effective technical and administrative safeguards, EVMs are not tamperable and integrity of electoral process is preserved," it said. The EC's rebuttal came a day after Mayawati said she will move court against the alleged tampering of EVMs. Kejriwal too had alleged that EVMs may have been tampered with in Punjab, adding "it is about the credibility of the Election Commission and the faith of people in the electoral system. We have strong prima facie evidence of foul play." The Commission today said that so far, no one has been able to actually demonstrate that EVMs used by the Election Commission can be tampered with or manipulated. It said "what has been demonstrated or claimed to have been demonstrated is on a privately assembled look-alike of ECI-EVMs and not the actual ECI-EVMs." Electronics Corporation of India Ltd and Bharat Electronics Ltd are the two PSUs which manufacture the EVMs for EC. The poll watchdog assured that its EVMs are tamper-proof and it is "fully satisfied with the integrity of electoral process using EVM". Since the year 2000, EVMs have been used in 107 assembly polls and three Lok Sabha elections held in 2004, 2009 and 2014. It recalled that the "controversy" over the reliability of the machines was raised by political parties after the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. "However, no specific allegation was raised nor could they prove before any court," the statement said. It said in an "extraordinary" move in August, 2009, it had invited those who had expressed reservations about the EVMs to come and demonstrate the flaws in the machines. Those invited included political parties, petitioners before various courts and some individuals who had been writing to the Commission on this issue. One hundred EVMs were brought from ten states -- Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh -- and were kept at the Commission's office here for scrutiny and for any application to establish its alleged fallibility. "The outcome of this exercise was that none of the persons, who were given the opportunity, could actually demonstrate any tamperability of the ECI-EVMs. They either failed or chose not to demonstrate," it elaborated. Some activists had then showed on TV a machine which they claimed can be manipulated. The Commission had countered the allegation stating that the machine was stolen from EVM warehouse in Mumbai and modified by the activists. "Thus it was no longer the machine used by EC," it said. Based on consultations with political parties in 2010, the Commission explored the use of Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) with a view to enhance transparency. In VVPAT, a paper slip is generated bearing name and symbol of the candidate along with recording of vote in Control Unit, so that in case of any dispute, paper slip could be counted to verify the result being shown on the EVM. A printer is attached to the balloting Unit and kept in the voting compartment. The paper slip remains visible on VVPAT for 07 seconds through a transparent window. In June 2014, the Commission proposed to implement VVPAT at every polling station in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and sought Rs 3,174 crore for the same from the Law Ministry. The Commission had earlier this month informed the Supreme Court that it will get the 15.5 lakh VVPATs manufactured in 30 months from the time of release of fund by the government. (PTI)

Electronic voting machines are 'fully tamper-proof': Election Commission

Sensing defeat, the SP and the BSP have launched a new game plan for a fractured mandate in Uttar Pradesh so that they can have bargaining power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.

&quot;The SP and the BSP, after the third phase of polling, have realised that they have no chance of winning and so they have launched a new game, a new technique...even if we are defeated or our seats decrease, no one should get majority,&quot; he said at an election rally in this eastern UP town.

&quot;I want to tell the leaders of the SP and the BSP to try whatever means they can to defeat the BJP, there is no problem with it...but do not play with the future of UP. It has suffered a lot in the past,&quot; Modi said in his over hour-long speech.

&quot;You (SP, BSP) might be thinking that in case of a hung House, you will get a chance to bargain but the people of UP have shown you in the Lok Sabha polls, by ensuring a full majority to BJP, and in these elections, they will ensure that BJP wins with a huge margin,&quot; Modi said.

The prime minister said it is the right of the SP, the Congress and the BSP in democracy to try to win elections by doing whatever they want against the BJP.

&quot;When the polls were announced and the SP got afraid that they will not win, in a hurry they went and sat in the lap of the Congress...boarded a sinking ship. They got encouraged by media coverage and got intoxicated and thought they will befool the people,&quot; Modi said.

However, public knows how to differentiate milk from water, he said.

On the hype on the SP-Congress alliance, Modi said soon after entering into an understanding they were claiming they will get a two-thirds majority and there were also reports that &quot;certain people&quot; will come out for campaigning.

&quot;But soon after the first two phases, those very people decided to stay away from campaigning and those who were claiming a two-thirds majority came with folded hands asking for another chance to correct their mistakes,&quot; Modi said.

Pointing out that his party believes in taking its allies along even if it got full majority on its own, the PM said all its alliance partners will be made part of BJP government in UP if it comes to power, even though on its own.

&quot;The ship of the Samajwadis has sunk...BSP is not able to do anyhing...Bhatija (Akhilesh) is thinking as to how to save himself, while Bua (Mayawati) is worried thinking what the bhatija has done...,&quot; he said.

Noting that the country was being hailed all over the world today because it got a full majority government at the Centre after 30 years, Modi said when he, as the PM, shakes hand with world leaders they see &quot;125 crore Hindustanis&quot; in him.

He called for a full majority to his party in the polls so that UP is also hailed across the country.

Speaking about the &quot;backwardness&quot; of eastern UP, Modi said that with fertile land, enough water, labourious people and dreams of youths, it can be made the &#39;aan, baan and shaan&#39; (pride of place) of the country.

&quot;It is not as if leaders sitting in Delhi are not aware of the situation here but they don&#39;t have any concern...there cannot be a bigger crime...the Congress has committed a big crime as also the SP and the BSP and they all needed to be punished,&quot; Modi said.

&quot;During Pandit Nehru&#39;s time, when local MP from Ghazipur Vishvanathji spoke about the plight of the region...about poverty and starvation, the entire Parliament was teary-eyed ...what he said no one will believe...there are people living in dismal state and poor families washed cowdung to retrieve foodgrains for filling their stomach,&quot; Modi said.

Pandit Nehru had set up the Patel committee for developing eastern UP and a report was given during his (Nehru&#39;s) time itself. &quot;50 years have passed, see the criminal mindset, it has been lying in a box,&quot; he said, adding the report has now been taken out and work has started on its recommendation. &quot;After result on March 11, we will celebrate Holi of victory,&quot; Modi said.

Unleashing fresh attack on CM Akhilesh Yadav on the Fasal Bima Yojna, Modi said those who talk about &#39;kaam bolta hai&#39; managed &quot;only 14 per cent success&quot; in implementing the scheme and asked if it was not a crime against the farmers and should the state government not be punished for it? &quot;What is the crime of farmers, why are you so angry and harming them by not buying foodgrains at the support price?...

who is against the farmers and is only serving their interest by spewing venom of casteism...they will not be pardoned by the youths of UP,&quot; Modi said.

Alleging discrimination in power supply, he said, &quot;Your CM is brazenly claiming that you are getting it...you are fortunate that polling will take place here at a later date and so you are getting power...where it is over, the power supply has been cut...here the same thing will be done after March 4...is this not betrayal and a lie?&quot; &quot;He has so much ego that he is out to befool people by spreading lies,&quot; he said, adding if the CM had development in his mind he would have also known about 2,700-km long Kandala-Gorakhpur gas pipeline worth Rs 5,000 crore which will also bring industry and development in this region.

He claimed that Centre was ready to give power at a low rate &quot;but the state did not take it...only half of the funds for the purpose has been spent...such a government does not have the right to be in power for even a day&quot;.

Recalling the donkey remark, Modi said, &quot;Akhilesh says he has talked about donkeys in fun...when Sheila Dikshit talked about her leader, I also thought it was out of fun...I want to ask whether the bad state of police thanas, people being stabbed and land being grabbed are also part of fun.&quot; Referring to BSP fielding gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from the Mau Sadar seat, Modi said when any muscle man is sent to jail here he &quot;goes in smiling as they get perfect arrangements for their stay and security in jails&quot;.

&quot;Give my message to all those who have evaded jails till now and those who are taking food for those inside that times have changed and after the results are announced on March 11, jails will be made jails in true sense and it will be seen how they have fun,&quot; Modi asserted.

Targeting BSP supremo Mayawati, he asked whether making tall claims on law and order and then giving tickets to musclemen is not making a mockery of democracy. Citing &#39;Bahubali&#39; film, Modi referred to a character in it &#39;Katappa&#39; and hinted at a man standing with a stick on the dais calling it the stick of law and and promised guarantee of security under a BJP government in the state. He said: &quot;&ldquo;Katappa killed Baahubali in the movie Baahubali&rdquo;. &ldquo;In a movie, a character called Baahubali was killed by Katappa in the end, after March 11 police&rsquo;s baton will take care of them like Kattappa did.&quot;

(PTI)

Says the SP and BSP's new gameplan is to ensure no one gets a majority

Sensing defeat, the SP and the BSP have launched a new game plan for a fractured mandate in Uttar Pradesh so that they can have bargaining power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today. "The SP and the BSP, after the third phase of polling, have realised that they have no chance of winning and so they have launched a new game, a new technique...even if we are defeated or our seats decrease, no one should get majority," he said at an election rally in this eastern UP town. "I want to tell the leaders of the SP and the BSP to try whatever means they can to defeat the BJP, there is no problem with it...but do not play with the future of UP. It has suffered a lot in the past," Modi said in his over hour-long speech. "You (SP, BSP) might be thinking that in case of a hung House, you will get a chance to bargain but the people of UP have shown you in the Lok Sabha polls, by ensuring a full majority to BJP, and in these elections, they will ensure that BJP wins with a huge margin," Modi said. The prime minister said it is the right of the SP, the Congress and the BSP in democracy to try to win elections by doing whatever they want against the BJP. "When the polls were announced and the SP got afraid that they will not win, in a hurry they went and sat in the lap of the Congress...boarded a sinking ship. They got encouraged by media coverage and got intoxicated and thought they will befool the people," Modi said. However, public knows how to differentiate milk from water, he said. On the hype on the SP-Congress alliance, Modi said soon after entering into an understanding they were claiming they will get a two-thirds majority and there were also reports that "certain people" will come out for campaigning. "But soon after the first two phases, those very people decided to stay away from campaigning and those who were claiming a two-thirds majority came with folded hands asking for another chance to correct their mistakes," Modi said. Pointing out that his party believes in taking its allies along even if it got full majority on its own, the PM said all its alliance partners will be made part of BJP government in UP if it comes to power, even though on its own. "The ship of the Samajwadis has sunk...BSP is not able to do anyhing...Bhatija (Akhilesh) is thinking as to how to save himself, while Bua (Mayawati) is worried thinking what the bhatija has done...," he said. Noting that the country was being hailed all over the world today because it got a full majority government at the Centre after 30 years, Modi said when he, as the PM, shakes hand with world leaders they see "125 crore Hindustanis" in him. He called for a full majority to his party in the polls so that UP is also hailed across the country. Speaking about the "backwardness" of eastern UP, Modi said that with fertile land, enough water, labourious people and dreams of youths, it can be made the 'aan, baan and shaan' (pride of place) of the country. "It is not as if leaders sitting in Delhi are not aware of the situation here but they don't have any concern...there cannot be a bigger crime...the Congress has committed a big crime as also the SP and the BSP and they all needed to be punished," Modi said. "During Pandit Nehru's time, when local MP from Ghazipur Vishvanathji spoke about the plight of the region...about poverty and starvation, the entire Parliament was teary-eyed ...what he said no one will believe...there are people living in dismal state and poor families washed cowdung to retrieve foodgrains for filling their stomach," Modi said. Pandit Nehru had set up the Patel committee for developing eastern UP and a report was given during his (Nehru's) time itself. "50 years have passed, see the criminal mindset, it has been lying in a box," he said, adding the report has now been taken out and work has started on its recommendation. "After result on March 11, we will celebrate Holi of victory," Modi said. Unleashing fresh attack on CM Akhilesh Yadav on the Fasal Bima Yojna, Modi said those who talk about 'kaam bolta hai' managed "only 14 per cent success" in implementing the scheme and asked if it was not a crime against the farmers and should the state government not be punished for it? "What is the crime of farmers, why are you so angry and harming them by not buying foodgrains at the support price?... who is against the farmers and is only serving their interest by spewing venom of casteism...they will not be pardoned by the youths of UP," Modi said. Alleging discrimination in power supply, he said, "Your CM is brazenly claiming that you are getting it...you are fortunate that polling will take place here at a later date and so you are getting power...where it is over, the power supply has been cut...here the same thing will be done after March 4...is this not betrayal and a lie?" "He has so much ego that he is out to befool people by spreading lies," he said, adding if the CM had development in his mind he would have also known about 2,700-km long Kandala-Gorakhpur gas pipeline worth Rs 5,000 crore which will also bring industry and development in this region. He claimed that Centre was ready to give power at a low rate "but the state did not take it...only half of the funds for the purpose has been spent...such a government does not have the right to be in power for even a day". Recalling the donkey remark, Modi said, "Akhilesh says he has talked about donkeys in fun...when Sheila Dikshit talked about her leader, I also thought it was out of fun...I want to ask whether the bad state of police thanas, people being stabbed and land being grabbed are also part of fun." Referring to BSP fielding gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari from the Mau Sadar seat, Modi said when any muscle man is sent to jail here he "goes in smiling as they get perfect arrangements for their stay and security in jails". "Give my message to all those who have evaded jails till now and those who are taking food for those inside that times have changed and after the results are announced on March 11, jails will be made jails in true sense and it will be seen how they have fun," Modi asserted. Targeting BSP supremo Mayawati, he asked whether making tall claims on law and order and then giving tickets to musclemen is not making a mockery of democracy. Citing 'Bahubali' film, Modi referred to a character in it 'Katappa' and hinted at a man standing with a stick on the dais calling it the stick of law and and promised guarantee of security under a BJP government in the state. He said: "“Katappa killed Baahubali in the movie Baahubali”. “In a movie, a character called Baahubali was killed by Katappa in the end, after March 11 police’s baton will take care of them like Kattappa did." (PTI)

A sign of nervousness? PM Modi speaks of fractured mandate in UP

In an interview to PTI, BJP president Amit Shah said that there was &quot;no question&quot; of any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any party. He also said the BJP had deliberately not declared its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh&nbsp;as it is a part of its poll strategy.

Asked if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority, the BJP president explicitly stated, &quot;Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party).&quot;

A few poll surveys and political experts have forecast a hung assembly in the state where elections are currently being held in seven-phases with the fourth phase set for tomorrow.&nbsp;

In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha (Lower House) seats, beating the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati&#39;s BSP quite easily.

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They will ask your religion &amp; caste first, if that doesn&#39;t seem favourable to them, they won&#39;t give you laptop: Amit Shah in Chauri Chaura <a href="https://t.co/zSOVBahTNV">pic.twitter.com/zSOVBahTNV</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834367588041945088">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The BJP president hopes to ride the 2014 wave in Uttar Pradesh, not only this, he feels the BJP will win in Uttarakhand and Goa with &quot;full majority&quot;.

He said it was &quot;difficult to guess&quot; who would win in Punjab, noting that it was a &quot;triangular contest&quot; in the state involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and the AAP.

Akhilesh Yadav slams PM Modi over demonetisation.

Meanwhile, the BSP, SP and the Congress - key parties in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls criticised the Modi-led BJP over demonetisation and other issues in various election rallies in the state.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the prime minister questioning him over his 2014 poll promise to bring &quot;acche din&quot; (good days) back.

&nbsp;

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Due to some reasons, I couldn&#39;t be present between all of you this time. Representing you is a matter of pride for me,my family:Sonia Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/DzTqwvfuwG">pic.twitter.com/DzTqwvfuwG</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834354553692753921">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Centre Govt is depriving you (ppl) of welfare programmes deliberately, &amp; I am pained to see this happening: Sonia Gandhi addresses in letter <a href="https://t.co/B3XIIQP3RB">pic.twitter.com/B3XIIQP3RB</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834355050600361984">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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At an election rally in Bahraich district, SP President Akhilesh Yadav said Modi had not released statistics showing that black money, corruption and terrorism had come to an end after demonetisation.

&quot;You had said demonetisation would being an end to black money, corruption and terrorism. Where are the statistics? (Notebandi se aapne jo kaha tha ki kaladhan, corruption aur aatankwad khatam ho jayega, aankadey kahan hai?,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said.

On the SP&#39;s seat-sharing with the Congress, Akhilesh said, &quot;If friendship is done with a big heart, it stays but if you befriend a miser the bond is unlikely to last.&quot;

After the Congress-SP alliance, the confusion in the minds of the people, has come to an end now,&quot; Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally in Shravasti district.

&nbsp;

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Hum zimmedaari se PM ko kehte hain khao Ganga maiyya ki kasam ki hum Kashi mein 24ghante bijli de rahein hain ki nahi de rahe:Akhilesh Yadav <a href="https://t.co/1TM4d1o2Xv">pic.twitter.com/1TM4d1o2Xv</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/834347017937760256">February 22, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Reservations will be removed if BJP comes to power: Mayawati

On another front, BSP chief Mayawati said she had been informed by &quot;sources&quot; that the BJP would remove reservations if it came to power in Uttar Pradesh.

&quot;If BJP comes to power in the elections, all reservations will go away, have got information from sources,&quot; Mayawati said at a rally in Faizabad district.

&quot;You can only guess how many Rohit Vemula or Una cases will happen if BJP comes to power in the state,&quot; the BSP chief declared.

She was referring to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who spoke up for his community and committed suicide in Karnataka and to the thrashing of Dalits in Gujarat&#39;s Una after being wrongly accused of killing a cow.

&quot;Now the people will refer to the BJP as &#39;party of frauds&#39; instead of the &#39;party of people&#39; not only in Uttar Pradesh but the entire country,&quot; Mayawati said in Faizabad.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

BJP president Amit Shah is confident of his party's win in UP, Uttarakhand and Goa but he is unclear about the outcome in Punjab

In an interview to PTI, BJP president Amit Shah said that there was "no question" of any post-poll alliance with the BSP or any party. He also said the BJP had deliberately not declared its chief ministerial candidate for Uttar Pradesh as it is a part of its poll strategy. Asked if the BJP would be willing to ally with the BSP or any other party to form a government in the politically crucial state if it fell short of a majority, the BJP president explicitly stated, "Kisi se bhi haath milane ka dur-dur tak koi swaal nahin uthatha (there is no question by far of joining hands with any party)." A few poll surveys and political experts have forecast a hung assembly in the state where elections are currently being held in seven-phases with the fourth phase set for tomorrow. In the 2014 general elections, the BJP had won 71 of the 80 Lok Sabha (Lower House) seats, beating the SP-Congress alliance and Mayawati's BSP quite easily. They will ask your religion & caste first, if that doesn't seem favourable to them, they won't give you laptop: Amit Shah in Chauri Chaura pic.twitter.com/zSOVBahTNV — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × The BJP president hopes to ride the 2014 wave in Uttar Pradesh, not only this, he feels the BJP will win in Uttarakhand and Goa with "full majority". He said it was "difficult to guess" who would win in Punjab, noting that it was a "triangular contest" in the state involving the SAD-BJP, Congress and the AAP. Akhilesh Yadav slams PM Modi over demonetisation. Meanwhile, the BSP, SP and the Congress - key parties in the ongoing Uttar Pradesh polls criticised the Modi-led BJP over demonetisation and other issues in various election rallies in the state. Congress president Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the prime minister questioning him over his 2014 poll promise to bring "acche din" (good days) back. Due to some reasons, I couldn't be present between all of you this time. Representing you is a matter of pride for me,my family:Sonia Gandhi pic.twitter.com/DzTqwvfuwG — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × Centre Govt is depriving you (ppl) of welfare programmes deliberately, & I am pained to see this happening: Sonia Gandhi addresses in letter pic.twitter.com/B3XIIQP3RB — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × At an election rally in Bahraich district, SP President Akhilesh Yadav said Modi had not released statistics showing that black money, corruption and terrorism had come to an end after demonetisation. "You had said demonetisation would being an end to black money, corruption and terrorism. Where are the statistics? (Notebandi se aapne jo kaha tha ki kaladhan, corruption aur aatankwad khatam ho jayega, aankadey kahan hai?," Akhilesh Yadav said. On the SP's seat-sharing with the Congress, Akhilesh said, "If friendship is done with a big heart, it stays but if you befriend a miser the bond is unlikely to last." After the Congress-SP alliance, the confusion in the minds of the people, has come to an end now," Akhilesh Yadav said at a rally in Shravasti district. Hum zimmedaari se PM ko kehte hain khao Ganga maiyya ki kasam ki hum Kashi mein 24ghante bijli de rahein hain ki nahi de rahe:Akhilesh Yadav pic.twitter.com/1TM4d1o2Xv — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 22, 2017 × Reservations will be removed if BJP comes to power: Mayawati On another front, BSP chief Mayawati said she had been informed by "sources" that the BJP would remove reservations if it came to power in Uttar Pradesh. "If BJP comes to power in the elections, all reservations will go away, have got information from sources," Mayawati said at a rally in Faizabad district. "You can only guess how many Rohit Vemula or Una cases will happen if BJP comes to power in the state," the BSP chief declared. She was referring to Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula, who spoke up for his community and committed suicide in Karnataka and to the thrashing of Dalits in Gujarat's Una after being wrongly accused of killing a cow. "Now the people will refer to the BJP as 'party of frauds' instead of the 'party of people' not only in Uttar Pradesh but the entire country," Mayawati said in Faizabad. (WION with inputs from agencies)

No question of post-poll alliance with BSP or any party: BJP president Amit Shah

BSP leader Mayawati today hit back at <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/now-pm-modi-compares-himself-to-lord-krishna-12485">PM Modi&#39;s</a> &#39;Behenji Sampatti (wealth)&nbsp;Party&#39; barb, calling the Indian prime minister &quot;Mr Negative Dalit Man&quot;.

Mayawati&#39;s latest dig at Modi comes after the Indian prime minister said &quot;those who deposit wealth for themselves can never solve the problems of people&quot;.

&quot;Arrey Behenji discussion not because elections are being held but because you have deposited Rs 100 crore after note ban...BSP is no longer Bahujan Samaj Party...Bahujan toh Mayawati me simat gaya hai...It is Behenji Sampatti Party now. Those who deposit wealth for themselves, can they solve your problem?&quot; the prime minister said at an election rally in Orai region in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh.

Mayawati was quick to hit back declaring the PM Modi would get a tit-for-tat reply in the Uttar Pradesh polls.

&quot;Money started being deposited in banks all of a sudden (after demonetisation) and Mayawati started shouting as why is it only at election time that the account of her brother has been made public...why is it being discussed that Rs 100 crore have been deposited,&quot; the India prime minister said.

&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: BSP President Mayawati says PM Modi&#39;s full name means that he is an anti-Dalit man. <a href="https://t.co/Nhl0lDbNH3">pic.twitter.com/Nhl0lDbNH3</a>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/833604759508578304">February 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister Modi has been attacking the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) and Samajwadi Party(SP) repeatedly in an effort to get his party the Bharatiya Janta Party(BJP) back in power after fourteen long years. He recently attacked the Yadav family of the Samajwadi Party singling out chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for aligning with the Congress.

Uttar Pradesh, India&#39;s largest state, is the middle of a hard-fought election campaign spread across seven phases. The results&nbsp;are set to be declared on March 11. Most pollsters and political pandits have given the opposition BJP the edge but with the recent coalition of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/rahul-invokes-dilwale-dulhania-dacoit-gabbar-singh-to-hit-pm-modi-12501">Congress </a>and Samajwadi Party, the political equations in Uttar Pradesh have changed with every party trying its best to win over the electorate, often at any cost.

(WION with agency inputs)

BSP leader Mayawati's latest dig comes after PM Modi's 'Behenji Sampatti Party' remark at an election rally in Uttar Pradesh

BSP leader Mayawati today hit back at PM Modi's 'Behenji Sampatti (wealth) Party' barb, calling the Indian prime minister "Mr Negative Dalit Man". Mayawati's latest dig at Modi comes after the Indian prime minister said "those who deposit wealth for themselves can never solve the problems of people". "Arrey Behenji discussion not because elections are being held but because you have deposited Rs 100 crore after note ban...BSP is no longer Bahujan Samaj Party...Bahujan toh Mayawati me simat gaya hai...It is Behenji Sampatti Party now. Those who deposit wealth for themselves, can they solve your problem?" the prime minister said at an election rally in Orai region in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati was quick to hit back declaring the PM Modi would get a tit-for-tat reply in the Uttar Pradesh polls. "Money started being deposited in banks all of a sudden (after demonetisation) and Mayawati started shouting as why is it only at election time that the account of her brother has been made public...why is it being discussed that Rs 100 crore have been deposited," the India prime minister said. #WATCH: BSP President Mayawati says PM Modi's full name means that he is an anti-Dalit man. pic.twitter.com/Nhl0lDbNH3 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 20, 2017 × Prime Minister Modi has been attacking the Bahujan Samaj Party(BSP) and Samajwadi Party(SP) repeatedly in an effort to get his party the Bharatiya Janta Party(BJP) back in power after fourteen long years. He recently attacked the Yadav family of the Samajwadi Party singling out chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for aligning with the Congress. Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state, is the middle of a hard-fought election campaign spread across seven phases. The results are set to be declared on March 11. Most pollsters and political pandits have given the opposition BJP the edge but with the recent coalition of the Congress and Samajwadi Party, the political equations in Uttar Pradesh have changed with every party trying its best to win over the electorate, often at any cost. (WION with agency inputs)

PM Modi is Mr 'Negative Dalit Man', says BSP leader Mayawati

The BJP on Saturday targeted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for campaigning on behalf of criminals in the state.

The party targeted Priyanka Gandhi for campaigning for the Congress-SP alliance in Rae Bareli. It said it was unfortunate that she was seeking votes for those accused of &quot;rape and murder&quot;.

&quot;It is unfortunate that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought votes for someone who is accused of a heinous crime like rape. She chose to keep mum on the allegation. She and Rahul Gandhi are not with the people of Uttar Pradesh but with those accused of rape and murder and those who protect them,&quot; BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

He was referring&nbsp;to the accusation of rape against Gayatri Prajapati, a minister in the SP government who is contesting the polls from Amethi, and the murder charge against another SP nominee Arun Verma. A police complaint was registered against Gayatri Prajapati on Saturday in a gang-rape and sexual harassment case on the order of India&#39;s top court.

&quot;Akhilesh Yadav was the one who went around campaigning in the state with one hand on Gayatri Prajapati&#39;s shoulders. People of Uttar Pradesh are now looking for answers over women&#39;s safety from him. It&#39;s shocking that those who have untoward intentions against women are the very ministers being protected by Akhilesh,&quot; BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told ANI.

Mayawati attacks SP over law and order situation

BSP chief Mayawati also held Akhilesh Yadav responsible for the &quot;bad shape of law-and-order&quot; in the state at a poll rally in the state.

She also claimed that SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav&#39;s brother Shivpal Yadav was &quot;working internally&quot; to &quot;cut the votes&quot; of that party.

Mayawati criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for &quot;overburdening&quot; the population as a result of their policy of demonetisation for countering black money in the economy.

&quot;The people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds not to elect the adopted son (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but their own daughter (Mayawati) in this election,&quot; Mayawati said at a poll meeting in Jhansi.

Taking a dig at Indian prime minister Narendra Modi&#39;s &quot;adopted son&quot; remark, BSP chief Mayawati said she was sure the people of Uttar Pradesh would ensure the victory of their &quot;own daughter&quot; rather than the &quot;adopted son&quot;.aimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh as well as the rest of the country were &quot;fed up&quot; with the almost three years of the Modi government at the Centre.

Opposition wary of SP-Congress alliance: Akhilesh Yadav

Akhilesh Yadav claimed today that the&nbsp;Opposition parties were so disturbed over SP-Congress alliance that the tie-up was&nbsp;their only talking point during their poll campaigns.

&quot;Ever since Congress has come with us, they (opposition parties) are not able to understand which way this path will lead them to...They are talking only on SP and Congress and nothing else,&quot; the Uttar Pradesh chief minister&nbsp;told an election meeting in the state&#39;s Banda city.

He also said that PM Modi was wrongly claiming that the SP government had not undertaken any measures for the development of the state.

Citing&nbsp;the development works incuding the building of roads carried out by him, Akhilesh&nbsp;appealed to voters to compare the work undertaken by his government with those of chief ministers in the past.

He also criticised the BSP for fooling the people with claims that they would not build any more memorials and statues.&nbsp;He was&nbsp;reference was to stone statues built by Mayawati during her tenure as chief minister.

&quot;Who will believe them? She (Mayawati) says she will sit in the opposition (if she does not get majority)...She has celebrated &#39;raksha bandhan&#39; earlier too with BJP...May be my &#39;buaji&#39; (aunt) can side with them once again,&quot; he said while referring to Mayawati.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The party was referring to Samajwadi Party and Congress' support for Gayatri Prajapati, a minister accused of rape

The BJP on Saturday targeted Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for campaigning on behalf of criminals in the state. The party targeted Priyanka Gandhi for campaigning for the Congress-SP alliance in Rae Bareli. It said it was unfortunate that she was seeking votes for those accused of "rape and murder". "It is unfortunate that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra sought votes for someone who is accused of a heinous crime like rape. She chose to keep mum on the allegation. She and Rahul Gandhi are not with the people of Uttar Pradesh but with those accused of rape and murder and those who protect them," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said. He was referring to the accusation of rape against Gayatri Prajapati, a minister in the SP government who is contesting the polls from Amethi, and the murder charge against another SP nominee Arun Verma. A police complaint was registered against Gayatri Prajapati on Saturday in a gang-rape and sexual harassment case on the order of India's top court. "Akhilesh Yadav was the one who went around campaigning in the state with one hand on Gayatri Prajapati's shoulders. People of Uttar Pradesh are now looking for answers over women's safety from him. It's shocking that those who have untoward intentions against women are the very ministers being protected by Akhilesh," BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain told ANI. Mayawati attacks SP over law and order situation BSP chief Mayawati also held Akhilesh Yadav responsible for the "bad shape of law-and-order" in the state at a poll rally in the state. She also claimed that SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother Shivpal Yadav was "working internally" to "cut the votes" of that party. Mayawati criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "overburdening" the population as a result of their policy of demonetisation for countering black money in the economy. "The people of Uttar Pradesh have made up their minds not to elect the adopted son (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) but their own daughter (Mayawati) in this election," Mayawati said at a poll meeting in Jhansi. Taking a dig at Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's "adopted son" remark, BSP chief Mayawati said she was sure the people of Uttar Pradesh would ensure the victory of their "own daughter" rather than the "adopted son".aimed that the people of Uttar Pradesh as well as the rest of the country were "fed up" with the almost three years of the Modi government at the Centre. Opposition wary of SP-Congress alliance: Akhilesh Yadav Akhilesh Yadav claimed today that the Opposition parties were so disturbed over SP-Congress alliance that the tie-up was their only talking point during their poll campaigns. "Ever since Congress has come with us, they (opposition parties) are not able to understand which way this path will lead them to...They are talking only on SP and Congress and nothing else," the Uttar Pradesh chief minister told an election meeting in the state's Banda city. He also said that PM Modi was wrongly claiming that the SP government had not undertaken any measures for the development of the state. Citing the development works incuding the building of roads carried out by him, Akhilesh appealed to voters to compare the work undertaken by his government with those of chief ministers in the past. He also criticised the BSP for fooling the people with claims that they would not build any more memorials and statues. He was reference was to stone statues built by Mayawati during her tenure as chief minister. "Who will believe them? She (Mayawati) says she will sit in the opposition (if she does not get majority)...She has celebrated 'raksha bandhan' earlier too with BJP...May be my 'buaji' (aunt) can side with them once again," he said while referring to Mayawati. (WION with inputs from agencies)

UP election round-up: BJP slams Priyanka, Akhilesh for backing 'criminals'

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati hit out Tuesday at the Modi government after the Enforcement Directorate detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to her party.

Addressing the media, Mayawati alleged that the BJP was misusing state machinery to malign her party&#39;s name.&nbsp;

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<h5>It is understood the ED will soon issue notices to Mayawati&#39;s brother Anand; Rs 1.43 crore was deposited in a bank account in his name</h5>
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&quot;We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited in bank, but what about deposits by BJP,&quot; she said.

She also alleged BJP is tarnishing the BSP&#39;s image ahead of the UP assembly elections.

The enforcement directorate had on Monday detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the BSP and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Mayawati&#39;s brother Anand in a Delhi branch of the United Bank of India.

Agency officials said the ED sleuths called for records of the deposits and found that while Rs 102 crore was deposited in old 1,000-rupee notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore was deposited in old 500-rupee notes.

The ED said it has asked the bank to provide it the KYC (know your customer) documents used to open the accounts, and CCTV footage of the deposits being made.

It is understood the agency will soon issue notices to Anand him and also intimate the income tax department about the deposits, asking that they be investigated under anti-tax evasion laws.

(This article first appeared in DNA)

'We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited,' she said

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati hit out Tuesday at the Modi government after the Enforcement Directorate detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to her party. Addressing the media, Mayawati alleged that the BJP was misusing state machinery to malign her party's name. It is understood the ED will soon issue notices to Mayawati's brother Anand; Rs 1.43 crore was deposited in a bank account in his name × "We have deposited the money collected as party funds honestly in the bank account. We have account of every rupee deposited in bank, but what about deposits by BJP," she said. She also alleged BJP is tarnishing the BSP's image ahead of the UP assembly elections. The enforcement directorate had on Monday detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the BSP and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Mayawati's brother Anand in a Delhi branch of the United Bank of India. Agency officials said the ED sleuths called for records of the deposits and found that while Rs 102 crore was deposited in old 1,000-rupee notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore was deposited in old 500-rupee notes. The ED said it has asked the bank to provide it the KYC (know your customer) documents used to open the accounts, and CCTV footage of the deposits being made. It is understood the agency will soon issue notices to Anand him and also intimate the income tax department about the deposits, asking that they be investigated under anti-tax evasion laws. (This article first appeared in DNA)

Mayawati: Central govt misusing state machinery to malign BSP before UP elections

By Dipu Rai

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati came under Enforcement Directorate (ED) scanner on Friday, as the agency detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the party and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Anand Kumar, Mayawati&#39;s brother, on Friday.

ED sources said that the accounts had been detected in a branch of the United Bank of India (UBI) in the capital.

Officials said they visited the Karol Bagh branch of the bank as part of their routine survey and enquiry operations to check huge cash deposits, and found that large deposits were made in these two accounts after demonetisation.

The agency found that while Rs 102 crore had been deposited in Rs 1,000 notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore had been deposited in old Rs 500 notes. Officials said that about Rs 15-17 crore were being deposited into these accounts every other day. In Anand&#39;s account, ED officials found old notes worth Rs 18.98 lakh.

The ED has sought details about the accounts from the bank. It has been understood that the agency will write to the Income-Tax (I-T) department. The ED has also asked the bank to provide it some CCTV footage and the KYC documents used to open the accounts.

This is not the first time that the BSP&#39;s supremo&#39;s brother has come under the radar of probe agencies. In April 2015, the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) started investigating Kumar for alleged dubious transactions, running into crores. The FIU had coordinated with the CBDT and I-T department for a further probe.

Currently, the agency has been carrying out enquiry operations at over 50 bank branches to check possible instances of hawala dealings and money- laundering after the demonetisation drive.

BSP spokespersons and senior leaders refused to comment. Interestingly, the party&#39;s arch rivals, the Samajwadi Party (SP), came to their defence on this issue. A senior SP leader said: &quot;This was not an amount which was found stashed away in homes or lockers. This was an amount deposited in the bank after demonetization. It should not be made a political issue.&quot;

(This article first appeared in DNA)

Another Rs 1.43 crore was found in BSP supremo Mayawati's brother's account in a Delhi bank

By Dipu Rai Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati came under Enforcement Directorate (ED) scanner on Friday, as the agency detected cash deposits totalling over Rs 104 crore in an account belonging to the party and Rs 1.43 crore in an account belonging to Anand Kumar, Mayawati's brother, on Friday. ED sources said that the accounts had been detected in a branch of the United Bank of India (UBI) in the capital. Officials said they visited the Karol Bagh branch of the bank as part of their routine survey and enquiry operations to check huge cash deposits, and found that large deposits were made in these two accounts after demonetisation. The agency found that while Rs 102 crore had been deposited in Rs 1,000 notes, the remaining Rs 3 crore had been deposited in old Rs 500 notes. Officials said that about Rs 15-17 crore were being deposited into these accounts every other day. In Anand's account, ED officials found old notes worth Rs 18.98 lakh. The ED has sought details about the accounts from the bank. It has been understood that the agency will write to the Income-Tax (I-T) department. The ED has also asked the bank to provide it some CCTV footage and the KYC documents used to open the accounts. This is not the first time that the BSP's supremo's brother has come under the radar of probe agencies. In April 2015, the Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) started investigating Kumar for alleged dubious transactions, running into crores. The FIU had coordinated with the CBDT and I-T department for a further probe. Currently, the agency has been carrying out enquiry operations at over 50 bank branches to check possible instances of hawala dealings and money- laundering after the demonetisation drive. BSP spokespersons and senior leaders refused to comment. Interestingly, the party's arch rivals, the Samajwadi Party (SP), came to their defence on this issue. A senior SP leader said: "This was not an amount which was found stashed away in homes or lockers. This was an amount deposited in the bank after demonetization. It should not be made a political issue." (This article first appeared in DNA)

Rs 104 crore found deposited in BSP account after demonetisation

Launching a counter-attack against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today asked her if the huge amount of money deposited in her party&#39;s bank account was a money conversion exercise as it accused her of using her Dalit identity to hide &quot;corruption&quot;.

The BJP fielded Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to attack Mayawati, and hurled other charges at them.

&quot;Her allegations are baseless and we reject it with the contempt they deserve. If the Enforcement Directorate (ED) does a routine exercise, why is she so rattled? Will your corruption be hidden in the name of Dalits. Does Mayawati want to say that her corruption should be seen as a fight against Dalits? It is an insult of Dalits,&quot; he told a press conference.

Noting that she did not deny the deposits in the BSP&#39;s account, he asked, &quot;It raises a bigger question. Is it a donation or money conversion exercise?&quot;

The development of Dalits cannot be &quot;mortgaged&quot; to corruption, he said.

Prasad also made light of her claim that Rs 104 crore found in BSP&#39;s bank account in Delhi had come by way of political donations and that those were converted into high denomination notes before being deposited after the note ban kicked in on November 8.

&quot;Small currencies were converted into bigger bills and the money was not deposited in August, September and October but soon after demonetisation. It also raised a lot of suspicion. Now we are getting signals of why she has been opposing the note ban so strongly from the first day,&quot; Prasad said.

He also rejected her claim that the ED&#39;s action was linked to her assertion that the BJP was pushing Samajwadi Party (SP)&nbsp;and Congress for an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh (UP)&nbsp;assembly polls.

&quot;This is nothing but her frustration. She made these comments only yesterday while deposits were made much earlier...As far as BJP is concerned, even if SP, BSP and Congress come together, it will emerge victorious,&quot; he said.

When asked about her demand that BJP too make public the donations it has received, he said all parties submit these details to the Election Commission which puts it on its website.

On the government&#39;s stand on electoral reforms, he said those were primarily the Election Commission&#39;s job but it was open to supporting &quot;positive reforms&quot;.

&quot;As far as improvement is concerned we are certainly open to that. There has to be proper initiative and consensus,&quot; he said.

When asked about Mayawati&#39;s assertion that the ED action would help her in the Uttar Pradesh state elections the same way as the alleged Taj corridor corruption case started under the NDA I in 2007, Prasad said, She had forgotten that there were Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and what happened to her party then.

(PTI)&nbsp;

'Her allegations are baseless and we reject it with the contempt they deserve', said Prasad, the lawyer the BJP fielded to attack Mayawati

Launching a counter-attack against the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today asked her if the huge amount of money deposited in her party's bank account was a money conversion exercise as it accused her of using her Dalit identity to hide "corruption". The BJP fielded Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to attack Mayawati, and hurled other charges at them. "Her allegations are baseless and we reject it with the contempt they deserve. If the Enforcement Directorate (ED) does a routine exercise, why is she so rattled? Will your corruption be hidden in the name of Dalits. Does Mayawati want to say that her corruption should be seen as a fight against Dalits? It is an insult of Dalits," he told a press conference. Noting that she did not deny the deposits in the BSP's account, he asked, "It raises a bigger question. Is it a donation or money conversion exercise?" The development of Dalits cannot be "mortgaged" to corruption, he said. Prasad also made light of her claim that Rs 104 crore found in BSP's bank account in Delhi had come by way of political donations and that those were converted into high denomination notes before being deposited after the note ban kicked in on November 8. "Small currencies were converted into bigger bills and the money was not deposited in August, September and October but soon after demonetisation. It also raised a lot of suspicion. Now we are getting signals of why she has been opposing the note ban so strongly from the first day," Prasad said. He also rejected her claim that the ED's action was linked to her assertion that the BJP was pushing Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress for an alliance for the Uttar Pradesh (UP) assembly polls. "This is nothing but her frustration. She made these comments only yesterday while deposits were made much earlier...As far as BJP is concerned, even if SP, BSP and Congress come together, it will emerge victorious," he said. When asked about her demand that BJP too make public the donations it has received, he said all parties submit these details to the Election Commission which puts it on its website. On the government's stand on electoral reforms, he said those were primarily the Election Commission's job but it was open to supporting "positive reforms". "As far as improvement is concerned we are certainly open to that. There has to be proper initiative and consensus," he said. When asked about Mayawati's assertion that the ED action would help her in the Uttar Pradesh state elections the same way as the alleged Taj corridor corruption case started under the NDA I in 2007, Prasad said, She had forgotten that there were Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and what happened to her party then. (PTI)

BJP attacks Mayawati over Rs 104 cr in bank account

Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s Uttar Pradesh vice president Dayashankar Singh has been relieved of all responsibilities with immediate effect for derogatory statement against Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, said BJP UP president Keshav Prasad Maurya. 
 
Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties, while an embarrassed BJP expressed regret, but furore over the issue forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha for the day. 
 
&quot;Mayawati is breaking the dream of Kanshi Ram into pieces. Mayawati is selling tickets like...,&quot; BJP Vice President Dayashankar Singh told reporters in Mau. 
 
&quot;Mayawati gives tickets for Rs 1 crore and if there is someone who can give Rs 2 crore than she sells it for Rs 2 crore within an hour. If someone is ready to give Rs 3 crore by the evening, she gives the ticket to him,&quot; Singh alleged. 
 
&quot;She is even worse than....The BSP workers, who are in BSP since Kanshi Ram&#39;s days are deserting the party,&quot; said Singh, who was in Mau for the first time after becoming party vice president to meet party workers this morning. 
 
Singh&#39;s remarks drew severe flak from members in the Rajya Sabha, including women MPs, with Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien saying that the House wants the Government to ensure that stringent action is taken against the BJP leader, as per law, for his &quot;unforgivable&quot; comments. 
 
There was all-round condemnation of Singh for his remarks by MPs, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam&#39;s Kanimozhi, Congress&#39; Kumari Selja and Renuka Chowdhury, TK Rangarajan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP and demands were made for action against him. 
 
Leader of the House Arun Jaitley got up to offer regret on behalf of the party, and said the remarks were highly condemnable. 
 
&quot;It is highly condemnable that a political leader uses such words against a prominent woman leader. I regret the use of such words and will ensure that the matter is taken up by the concerned. I personally express regret to Mayawatiji and we are with you on the issue of protecting dignity,&quot; Jaitley said. 
 
A visibly agitated Mayawati, who was present in the House, thanked Jaitley and all other members for their condemnation of Singh&#39;s remarks, but demanded that BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah discuss the matter, expel Singh from the party and take action against him. 
 
She said mere expression of regret will not suffice and added, &quot;His (Singh&#39;s) remarks apply for his sister and daughter and not for me. The whole country will not forgive BJP. People will come on the streets.&quot; 
 
Mayawati said the remarks by the BJP leader reflected the &quot;capitalistic mindset&quot; and asserted that never in her political career had she used any derogatory or personal remarks against her adversaries or questioned their character, though there could be ideological differences. 
 
The BSP chief said she represented the most oppressed and exploited people of the country and had dedicated her whole life to them. She said the BSP always collected funds from the poor to carry forward the movement started by Kanshi Ram so that it does not have to rely on capitalists. 
 
&quot;On my birthday, I have told my supporters not to give me any expensive gifts like gold and jewellery, but make economic contributions to the party,&quot; she said. 
 
Mayawati attacked the BJP, saying it was jittery, and its anti-dalit mindset has been exposed as it has still not sacked a minister who had compared dalits to dogs, an apparent reference to Minister of State V K Singh.&nbsp;As the uproar over the issue continued, the Deputy Chairperson adjourned the House till tomorrow. 
 
BSP MP S C Mishra said that the party will carry forward the issue and take legal action against Singh for his utterances under the 
SC/ST Act, as they do not expect the government to take any action in this regard. &quot;We will drag him to court,&quot; he said outside Parliament. 
 
Later in Ballia, Dayashankar Singh sought to do damage control saying it was a slip of tongue. 
 
&quot;Mayawati is a big leader and came from a small family. I did not want to hurt anyone. I regret the slip of tongue. I never meant to hurt the dignity of anyone,&quot; he said. 
 
(PTI)

Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties

Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh vice president Dayashankar Singh has been relieved of all responsibilities with immediate effect for derogatory statement against Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, said BJP UP president Keshav Prasad Maurya. Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties, while an embarrassed BJP expressed regret, but furore over the issue forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha for the day. "Mayawati is breaking the dream of Kanshi Ram into pieces. Mayawati is selling tickets like...," BJP Vice President Dayashankar Singh told reporters in Mau. "Mayawati gives tickets for Rs 1 crore and if there is someone who can give Rs 2 crore than she sells it for Rs 2 crore within an hour. If someone is ready to give Rs 3 crore by the evening, she gives the ticket to him," Singh alleged. "She is even worse than....The BSP workers, who are in BSP since Kanshi Ram's days are deserting the party," said Singh, who was in Mau for the first time after becoming party vice president to meet party workers this morning. Singh's remarks drew severe flak from members in the Rajya Sabha, including women MPs, with Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien saying that the House wants the Government to ensure that stringent action is taken against the BJP leader, as per law, for his "unforgivable" comments. There was all-round condemnation of Singh for his remarks by MPs, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Kanimozhi, Congress' Kumari Selja and Renuka Chowdhury, TK Rangarajan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP and demands were made for action against him. Leader of the House Arun Jaitley got up to offer regret on behalf of the party, and said the remarks were highly condemnable. "It is highly condemnable that a political leader uses such words against a prominent woman leader. I regret the use of such words and will ensure that the matter is taken up by the concerned. I personally express regret to Mayawatiji and we are with you on the issue of protecting dignity," Jaitley said. A visibly agitated Mayawati, who was present in the House, thanked Jaitley and all other members for their condemnation of Singh's remarks, but demanded that BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah discuss the matter, expel Singh from the party and take action against him. She said mere expression of regret will not suffice and added, "His (Singh's) remarks apply for his sister and daughter and not for me. The whole country will not forgive BJP. People will come on the streets." Mayawati said the remarks by the BJP leader reflected the "capitalistic mindset" and asserted that never in her political career had she used any derogatory or personal remarks against her adversaries or questioned their character, though there could be ideological differences. The BSP chief said she represented the most oppressed and exploited people of the country and had dedicated her whole life to them. She said the BSP always collected funds from the poor to carry forward the movement started by Kanshi Ram so that it does not have to rely on capitalists. "On my birthday, I have told my supporters not to give me any expensive gifts like gold and jewellery, but make economic contributions to the party," she said. Mayawati attacked the BJP, saying it was jittery, and its anti-dalit mindset has been exposed as it has still not sacked a minister who had compared dalits to dogs, an apparent reference to Minister of State V K Singh. As the uproar over the issue continued, the Deputy Chairperson adjourned the House till tomorrow. BSP MP S C Mishra said that the party will carry forward the issue and take legal action against Singh for his utterances under the SC/ST Act, as they do not expect the government to take any action in this regard. "We will drag him to court," he said outside Parliament. Later in Ballia, Dayashankar Singh sought to do damage control saying it was a slip of tongue. "Mayawati is a big leader and came from a small family. I did not want to hurt anyone. I regret the slip of tongue. I never meant to hurt the dignity of anyone," he said. (PTI)

Dayashankar Singh removed as Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh vice president

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