Mulayam hobnobbing with RSS: Cong

Lucknow, Jun 26 (UNI) Reacting sharply to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav's announcement of sops to emergency detenues, Congress today alleged with this step, the Samajwadi Party regime in the state had fulfilled the long standing demand of the Rashtraiya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

''Taking such a decision, which is supported by RSS and BJP, and sharing the dais with NDA convener George Fernandes (also an emergency detenue), Mr Yadav has finally proved that SP is part of the BJP family,'' UP Congress Committee (UPCC) chief spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh said here.

''Giving sops to emergency detenues is highly objectionable as several of them were not merely political figures, but also smugglers, hoarders and criminals.'' Congress' reaction came in wake of the announcement by UP CM of Rs 500 monthly honorarium and free bus travel to all MISA and DIR detenues.

Mr Yadav made this announcement at a conference of such detenues on the occasion of 31st anniversary of the emergency, which was imposed by the then prime minister Indira Gandhi on June 26, 1975.

The Congress leader was also peeved at Mr Fernandes sharing the dais with the CM, saying the former was jailed during emergency not as a political detenue, but as an accused in the Baroda dynamite case.

''It was well known that SP was hand-in-glove with the BJP and RSS, but the UP CM had acknowledged it publicly by doing a favour to them in such a blatant manner,'' the UPCC spokesman added.

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