Amar Singh smells another sting operation

New Delhi, Jun 3: Samajwadi Party(SP) general secretary Amar Singh today alleged that the Congress, feeling jittery about the increasing base of the SP in Uttar Pradesh, was resorting to ''dirty tricks'' to damage the party and tarnish its leaders' image.

He accused the Congress of targeting party leaders Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal Singh Yadav and lawyers looking after party cases by way of sting operations, while addressing a newsconference here.

''The Congress strategists had mounted surveillance on SP leaders and the stingers were on the prowl carrying laptop with inbuilt camera. I have warned Akhilesh Yadav and Shivpal to be beware,'' he said.

''The Congress was using the Intelligence and RAW people to fight its political rivals,'' he alleged.

The SP leader said that despite all these ''tricks,'' the party will not be able to dislodge the Mulayam Singh Government in Uttar Pradesh and the SP will contest the next elections under Mr Singh's leadership.

He said it was sad that all the UPA allies like the RJD, the Lok Janshakti Party and the left parties had ''joined hands against Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav assuming him to be a bigger challenge than the comunalism of the BJP''.

In fact, it was this attitude of the Congress and allies that had brought NDA to power in Bihar, he added.

Replying to a question, Mr Singh, who is facing an Election Commission notice on the office of profit issue, said President A P J Abdul Kalam had acted correctly in returning the related bill to the government for reconsideration.

He said the bill in its present form was ''discriminatory'' as it does not provide immunity to certain offices from retrospective effect, thus depriving Ms Jaya Bachchan of its benefit.

''So we would like this clause to be amended. But anyway we will support the bill, as it was badly needed to remove confusion regarding certain posts.'' Mr Singh said the Samajwadi Party stand on the Bill was not like that of the BJP which brought a similar bill in Jharkhand but was opposing it at the Centre.

''We brought a legislation in Uttar Pradesh and support a similar law at the Centre too,'' he added.

UNI