Mayawati demands UP speaker resignation

Lucknow, Feb 19: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Mminister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati today demanded the resignation of state legislative assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey for failing to implement the Supreme Court ruling disqualifying 13 MLAs.

Ms Mayawati met governor T V Rajeswar at Raj Bhawan this morning and handed him over a two-page memorandum. Talking to reporters after the 45-minute meeting, she said the BSP has requested the Governor to send a ''reminder'' to the Centre to impose President's Rule in the state.

''Most of the 37 MLAs in question are still enjoying ministerial status despite the SC ruling which is clear that not only 13, but all the 37 MLAs stand disqualified...Under Atricle 164 of the Constitution, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav is running an illegal government and it's time he is forced to step down,'' she added.

This is the second BSP memorandum to the Governor in four days.

On Thursday last, BSP legislature party leader Swami Prasad Maurya had submitted a memorandum to Raj Bhawan seeking dismissal of the state government.

Ms Mayawati also launched an attack on former assembly speaker and BJP state unit president Kesarinath Tripathi for his 2003 ruling accepting a split in the BSP and the formation of Loktantrik Bahujan Dal (LBD). The LBD had merged with the ruling Samajwadi Party (SP), helping Mr Mulayam Singh form an alternative government in the state.

''While Mr Tripathi has no moral rights to continue as BJP president, the BJP too should not comment on the political developments till the time it expelled Mr Tripathi from the party,'' she asserted.

Ms Mayawati said the present assembly speaker Mata Prasad Pandey should resign from the post as he had lost the confidence of the house. ''He has so far failed to implement the SC ruling disqulifying the MLAs...to protect the honour of the post he holds, he should step down,'' she said.

UNI

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