UP minister attacks Cong over Gandhi Samadhi controversy

Lucknow, June 5 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today met Governor T V Rajeswar to brief him on the state government's plan to beautify the Gandhi Samadhi at Rampur even as SP supremo's lieutenant Mohd Azam Khan slammed the Congress for politicising the name of Father of the Nation.

Mr Yadav met the Governor along with state urban development minister Khan.

The congress and the SP had locked horns over the issue with the former alleging Khan's plan to remove the Samadhi from its present site.

Today's meeting is being perceived as SP's bid to counter the Congress' allegation, which had handed over several memoranda to the Governor in the recent past over the issue.

On May 31, CWC member Begum Noor Bano had handed over a memorandum to the Governor alleging atempts by Mr Khan to modify the structure of the Samadhi.

Interestingly, both Mr Khan and the Begum belong to Rampur where the samadhi is located.

After the Mahatma's assassination, the Nawab of Rampur had brought his ashes in an urn and buried it at the Samadhi. Besides Raj Ghat at New Delhi, Rampur is the only other place where the Mahatma's ashes are kept.

A release, meanwhile, quoted Mr Khan as claiming that Congress was unnecessarily politicising the issue and dragging the name of Father of the Nation.

He also presented the Governor with photographs and brochures of the plans to beautify the Samadhi. The release claimed Mr Rajeswar expressed satisfaction at the Detailed Project Report (DPR), photographs and brouchers.

UNI NAB VS RL RAI2005