LUCKNOW: Stung by the
income tax department’s notice on money deposited in the accounts of her party and her brother Anand Kumar, BSP chief
Mayawati on Tuesday said the BJP government was using government machinery to target her since she was a Dalit and had opposed the
demonetisation scheme.
Addressing reporters in Lucknow, Mayawati said the BJP could not see a Dalit having the “master key to power”, especially in UP, where assembly elections are due. Maintaining that all the
cash was deposited in both accounts within rules , Mayawati said that the money in question had been collected at her party office in Delhi in August.
“This was well before demonetisation came into play,” she said.
Mayawati added that the money had to be scrutinized before being deposited in the bank account.
“The party got late in depositing the money. It could be deposited only in November,” she clarified adding, “My brother Anand Kumar has been doing business for many years. He also deposited money as per rules.”
Mayawati claimed that a similar exercise was being carried out by other parties but they were not being targeted. “If Prime Minister
Narendra Modi is so honest, why isn’t he disclosing the bank transactions made by BJP 10 months before the note ban came into effect,” she asked.
The BSP chief accused the BJP of resorting to arm-twisting and trying to bargain with her.
“I am always targeted whenever elections are round the corner,” Mayawati said. She added that even the Taj Heritage Corridor and disproportionate assets cases against her were framed by the BJP government just before the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
“Let me tell BJP president
Amit Shah that the Taj Heritage Corridor project was to the tune of Rs 175 crore. Of this, (work only worth) Rs 17 crore were carried out during the BSP regime. But that was done by a central government agency. This way BJP was responsible for whatever anomaly occurred,” she said, claiming that she never saw the project’s file.
Mayawati said that whenever opposition targeted her, she emerged victorious. “The 2007 UP assembly elections is just a case in point. We won because I was targeted. This time again I am being targeted. I believe this will only strengthen our party and help us win the forthcoming assembly elections. I am, therefore, thankful to the BJP,” the former UP chief minister said.
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