'SP leaders treated as terrorists'

Lucknow, Jul 12: Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh today said the Congress was targeting SP leaders like ''political terrorists'' only to clear the path for the making Rahul Gandhi country's Prime Minister.

''Indian intelliegence agencies are only engaged in reporting our actitivies rather than their real duty of tracking terrorists,'' Mr Singh said.

Addressing a news conference on the opening day of the two-day state executive of the party chaired by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, Mr Singh said,'' the Congress government at the Centre was '' treating us like political terrorists'' by engaging all the Central agencies like the CBI, RAW, IB and Income Tax against the SP leaders of the state.'' ''It seems Congress is trying to implicate SP leaders only to safeguard 'Prince' (Rahul Gandhi) of the party for the Prime Minister's post,'' he said.

''Now, the duty of the central agencies is to implicate cases against the Yadavs, Bachchans and Singhs of the SP rather than doing their original duty,'' he added.

Condemning yesterday's seriel bomb blast in Mumbai local trains, the SP leader asserted his party did not want to do politics on the issue like it was done by the Congress during the Ayodhya and Sankatmochan terrorist attacks.

''Congress leaders had sought the resignation of Mr Yadav after the Ayodhya and Sankatmochan incidents, but Samajwadi Party will not seek the same from the Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir and Maharastra,'' he said and criticised Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal for speaking against the Uttar Pradesh government after the terrorist attacks.

Talking on the state executive meeting, Mr Singh said the political and economic resolution adopted by the party today appreciated the state government for the works done to address the poor and deprived masses.

Launching unemployment allowances, Kanya Vidya Dhan, generation of government jobs and other development works have put the state in the driver's seat in the country, he said.

The political resolution criticised the Centre for putting a spanner on all the developmental projects in Uttar Pradesh even as all efforts are being made to achieve the targets set by the government.

Mr Singh claimed the farmers were the happiest lot in the state the sugarcane growers were receiving advance money for their produce.

''Congress should speak on the farmers' sucides in Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra -- where the centre has given special package -- before commenting on the condition of Uttar Pradesh farmers,'' he added.

UNI