Mayawati with Cong help keeping Kanshi Ram captive: brother

Lucknow, May 5 (UNI) BSP founder Kanshi Ram's younger brother Darbara Singh today alleged that Mayawati with the help of Congress was holding his brother captive and not allowing anyone to meet him.

''We tried to meet Kanshi Ram on his 72nd birthday on March 15 at Mayawati's residence in New Delhi, but were assaulted by her supporters...she even ordered her securitymen to shoot me and my other brother Harbans Singh,'' Darbara Singh alleged at a press conference here.

He blamed the Congress for assisting Mayawati for ''illegally detaining'' Kanshi Ram, as due to that reason BSP did not field any candidate against Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha bypoll.

''In 2004, when he was admitted to Batra Hospital, he told me about the threat on his life by Mayawati, and that she was keeping him closely guarded -- not allowing to meet any of his family member,'' Darbara disclosed.

Refuting Mayawati's claims that Kanshi Ram had no relationship with his family members, Singh said the former BSP supremo always used to visit his native village in district Ropar (Punjab) whenever he went to Punjab or nearby places.

Admitting that his family and their organisation Kanshi Ram Bachao Sangharsh Samiti would like to take help from any political party, who would help them to take out the leader from the clutches of Mayawati, he said, ''Our mother Bishen Kaur died as she could not see the pain in the eyes of her son.'' The Samiti would hold an indefinite dharna in New Delhi from May 10 for early release of Kanshi Ram from the clutches of Mayawati, while the President of India would be handed over signatures of over a million people on July 31 for his release.

UNI MB VS RP RN1824