Mulayam has turned politics into profession of profit: Cong

New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) The Congress today charged the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh with turning ''politics into a profession of profit.'' Party Spokesman Rajiv Shukla levelled the charge while replying to reporters' queries over the UP government's move to declare a number of government posts as being outside the purview of the ''office of profit'' to enable Samajwadi Party members to continue in such posts.

The UP government's move comes in the wake of Election Commission's recommendation to President A P J Abdul Kalam for the disqualification of SP Rajya Sabha member, Ms Jaya Bachchan, for holding the post of the Chairperson of the UP Film Development Board.

The President has forwarded to the EC a similar complaint against Mr Amar Singh, also a Rajya Sabha member of the SP, for being the UP Development Council Chairman.

Fielding questions relating to Congress President and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi holding the posts of National Advisory Council (NAC) Chairperson and heading the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, the spokesman said these posts did not come under the offices of profit.

On the terrorist attacks in Varanasi, he said Ms Gandhi had extended full cooperation to the UP government in dealing with the situation as she was against looking for political gains from situations arising from unfortunate incidents which needed to be tackled unitedly.

In this regard, he expressed happiness over the action taken by the Mahant of Varanasi's Sankat Mochan temple, which was the target of the terrorist attack, to ''throw out'' BJP General Secretary Vinay Katiyar, who was giving a political speech from the temple premises.

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