Speaker's utterance on HC verdict against court: Mayawati

Lucknow, Mar 2: Bahujan Samaj Party supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today said the assembly speaker's statement on the High Court ruling on the 40 rebel BSP MLAs was against the Allahabad Highc Court's directive and has led to a constitutional crisis in the state.

''Speaker's statement yesterday that the HC has recognised the Loktantrik Bahujan Dal (LBD) and his later announcement without hearing the BSP was against the HC ruling,'' she claimed.

Announcing that BSP would move court against Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey's role in the case, Ms Mayawati said that it was gross misuse of power by the speaker, only to save the ''undemocratic'' Mulayam Singh Yadav government through ''illegal means.'' ''It is unfortunate that the speaker has misled the media and even misquoted the HC judgement for his vested interest,'' she claimed.

The BSP president would be meeting state governor T V Rajeswar this noon to apprise him about the role of the state government and the speaker.

''We will request the Governor to initiate action against the state government and if required to take help from the Centre to save constitutional norms from being flouted in UP,'' she said.

Appealing to all political parties to shed their vested interests and join the BSP in its tirade against the Samajwadi Party led government, Ms Mayawati said the situation in the state was just like it was between June one and three, 1995, when Mr Yadav broke all constitutional norms to remain in power.

''We will wait for five days before announcing our future course of action against the state government as BSP is eyeing eagerly the action to be taken by the Governor and the centre against the government,'' the former UP CM maintained.

Meanwhile, with another MLA returning to the BSP fold, now five MLAs including two ministers have announced their decision to rejoin their old party.

Ms Mayawati said very soon more MLAs would rejoin the party.

UNI