Shivpal dares opposition to face SP at hustings

Varanasi, Feb 18 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh PWD minister Shivpal Yadav today dared the opposition parties to contest against ruling Samajwadi Party at the hustings rather than clamouring for imposition of President's rule in the state.

''If the opposition believes in democracy, it should ready itself to face us in the assembly elections rather than clamour for imposing President's rule in the state,'' Mr Yadav, also the sibling of chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, told newspersons here.

In the city to inaugurate the Varuna Mahotsava, Mr Yadav further reiterated ''the present government should be given a chance to go for a test of majority on the floor of Vidhan Sabha''.

Training his guns at the UP governor T V Rajeswar, Mr Yadav said, ''the report sent by the Governor to the Centre clearly exposed that the Raj Bhawan was playing in the hands of opposition parties. Mr Rajeswar, instead of consulting the government counsel is acting on the advice of lawyers-turned-opposition party leaders like state BJP president Keshari Nath Tripathi, BSP leader S C Mishra and state Congress president Salman Khurshid.'' When queried what will the SP do in the event of President's rule in UP, Mr Yadav said, ''The SP has always believed in taking to the streets against injustice rather than going underground.'' UNI