Babbar demands Central intervention in UP situation

New Delhi, Mar 6 (UNI) Asserting that the recent communal riots in Uttar Pradesh were ''pre-planned'' with an eye on next year's assembly polls, suspended Samajwadi Party MP Raj Babbar today demanded that the Centre must intervene even as he disapproved an outright dismissal of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government.

''It will not be plausible to dismiss an elected government in Uttar Pradesh,'' Mr Babbar, who has raised a banner of revolt against 'broker culture' in the party, said.

In an hour-long interface with mediapersons at the Press Club here, Mr Babbar, who represents Agra in the Lok Sabha, also made a strong pitch for constituting a committee of parliamentarians and intellectuals, including journalists, to look into the ''explosive contents'' of CDs allegedly containing tapped conversations of SP General Secretary Amar Singh.

The cine-actor and politician, who recently submitted 24 CDs to Uttar Pradesh Governor T Rajeshwar Rao, said he had heard the contents for seven hours.

''The Supreme Court is already looking into the veracity of the contents as also the authenticity of voices in CDs. But it will not be right to leave the entire matter to the court itself,'' he said.

The committee he proposed should be mandated to unravel the entire contents of CDs running into 23 hours and place them before the apex court, Mr Babbar said, adding that he would raise the issue in Parliament.

Accusing the top SP leadership of squandering the robust legacy of Lohia and Gandhiji that had been the party's identity, he said Mr Amar Singh had emerged as the ''most visible symbol'' of broker culture, a phenomenon that had fuelled unrest and disenchantment among grassroot workers.

Lacing his observations with sarcasm, he said several other parties might have elevated people like Amar Singh to the ministerial berths but they had never been raised to the status of a leader.

''It is only in the Samajwadi Party that Amar Singh has been made a leader,'' he regretted.

Asked whether he had plans to join the Congress, Mr Babbar preferred to keep his cards close to his chest. He, however, praised Congress President Sonia Gandhi for her comment that there should be a code of conduct within politics and outside.

He also said he would meet all the like-minded ''people and parties'' to articulate his viewpoint and share their views.

''But I leave my future course of action to the people of Agra.

Whatever they command, I will obey,'' he asserted.

MORE UNI SKS PK DS1520