Mayawati slams book depicting her as 'goddess'

Lucknow, Oct 24 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today vehemently opposed the content of a book in which she was depicted as a 'goddess' and said the matter would be probed.

''A writer has every right to write whatever he likes, but at the same time a level of restraint is required while expressing his or her views,'' she told a press conference here.

The book in question is 'Kanshiramwad ko sakar karne wali jinda devi Mayawati (Realising the ideals of Kanshiram: Living goddess Mayawati)' which raised many a eyebrows over depicting the BSP leader as 'goddess'.

Making it clear that her government and the party have nothing to do with the writer of the book as well as the contents of the book, she said: ''I disapprove of my depiction as 'goddess' and would look into it,'' the CM said.

Coming down heavily on Bharatiya Janata Party by dubbing it as a 'communal party', Ms Mayawati reacted sharply to former's objection to installation of statue of Dalit icon Swami Periyar saying her government always respected the sentiments of 'sarva samaj' before installing any statue. ''In fact, the intelligence reports are taken into cognizance before installation of statue of any saint, god or goddess and great personalities,'' she said.

Unlike BJP, which could be accused of fomenting communal disharmony in the society by demolishing the Babri mosque at Ayodhya, the Bahujan Samaj Party was for a harmonious society respecting every caste and religion,''she said.

The UP CM, who has been under fire from the opposition camps for installing several statues of Dalit icons all over the state, made it clear that she would take into acccount the feelings of all the sections while in the process of installing statues of great personalities.

''BSP government is here to unite the society, not to divide like BJP,'' she quipped.

UNI