Row over Mulayam's courtesy to BJP leaders

Lucknow, Dec 21 (UNI) A fresh political row has erupted following the decision of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government to extend VVIP facilities to top BJP leaders attending the party's national council and national executive in the state capital.

While Congress was fast to term the two parties as ''different sides of the same coin'', the ruling Samajwadi Party described the courtesy as ''routine protocol.'' The state government has reportedly placed senior BJP leaders, including former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former deputy prime minister L K Advani at a five star hotel, with the expenses to be borne by the state government.

According to reports about 26 BJP leaders, including Chief Ministers of various BJP-ruled states, have been declared as 'state guests' by the SP government.

When senior SP leader and state Agriculture minister Dr Ashok Bajpai was asked about the courtesy, he termed it as ''routine protocol ''extended to former union ministers, including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Sushma Swaraj.

''There is a difference between 'sanskar' (upbringing) and policy...our upbringing ensures that we welcome state guests in the best possible way. On the policy front, SP is the biggest opponent of BJP and its policies,'' he added.

To a question on as to why even ''lower rung'' BJP leaders were being accomodated in the five star hotel, despite availability of VVIP state government-run guest houses, the minister said the government was following protocol.

Even BJP president and former state Chief Minister Rajnath Singh described the state government decision as protocol and general courtesy.

But Congress termed the government's move as another example of proximity between the BJP and SP. ''They are two sides of the same coin,'' said UP Congress in charge of organisation Satyadev Tripathi.

He claimed that the Mulayam Singh Yadav goverment was formed with the blessings of Mr Vajpayee. ''Never has this happened that someone has been extended invation to form the government at 5 in the morning,'' he added.

The political debate over the proximity between BJP and SP started after then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpyee, said at an official function, that the SP and BJP shared ''similarities in terms of ''ideology. Mr Yadav was, incidentally, present on the dais.

UNI NAB MB VD HT1612