BJP raked up Kairana issue to divert attention from its defeat in RS: Mayawati

Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday charged BJP with raking up the Kairana exodus issue to divert the attention of people from its defeat in Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council polls in Uttar Pradesh and made a fresh demand for imposition of President's rule in the state on law and order grounds.

Mayawati alleged that by raking up the issue of exodus of Hindu families from Kairana, BJP was "conspiring to foment communal passions", but its efforts were thwarted by the media.

"As a part of planned conspiracy, the Kairana issue was raised within a few hours of the biennial poll outcome and it was projected that Muslims were forcing Hindus to leave UP. This was a heinous conspiracy to fan communal passions," she told a press conference.

"There has been exodus from 50 districts (of Uttar Pradesh) due to drought for which the Centre is responsible," she claimed.

The BSP chief hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for slamming her party and alleged that BJP was hand in glove with ruling Samajwadi Party over the issue of corruption.

She said Modi had, at a rally in Allahabad, yesterday spoken about "jugalbandi" (duet) between SP and BSP over corruption which was "completely wrong".

"Inquiries into police recruitment scam and CM's discretionary fund were carried out by my government. Despite this, whatever Modi said on the issue of graft was an attempt to cover up the nexus between SP and BJP," she said.

Making a fresh demand for imposition of President's rule in UP, the BSP supremo said crime is at its "peak" in the state under the SP rule and alleged that BJP and Congress are equally responsible for it.

She also accused BJP of indulging in horse-trading in the just concluded Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council polls in UP.