Mulayam knocks doors of President against ''Cong vendetta''

New Delhi, Mar 6 (UNI) Beleagured Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today knocked the doors of the country's highest constitutional functionaries alleging the Congress was using the CBI and other means to settle political scores with him just ahead of the UP Assembly elections.

Mr Yadav, whose government recently narrowly escaped being sacked following the disqualification of BSP MLAS by the Supreme Court, is facing a probe by the premier investigating agency in a case of disproportionate assets on a directive of the apex court.

In his meetings with President A P J Abdul Kalam, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee here, he alleged that petitioner Vishwanath Chaturvedi in the case was a Congressman and the ruling party at the Centre was trying to oust him through other means after having failed to impose President's rule in the state.

Coming out of a meeting with the President, Mr Yadav and Party General Secretary Amar Singh told reporters that they had submitted to him an audio CD which contained a conversation between the petitioner and a journalist in which the former made derogatory remarks against Judges in the case and said they will decide the case against Mr Yadav.

He said he had also demanded that the CD be sent to the forensic sciences laboratory in Hyderabad for test of its authenticity.

Mr Amar Singh said they told the President that they had lost faith in the CBI and wanted a probe by a sitting Judge of the Supreme Court.

''We have apprised the President about the whole situation and how Mr Yadav was being hounded by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her team,'' said Mr Amar Singh.

The PIL filed by Chaturvedi had sought a CBI inquiry into the assets running into over Rs 100 crore allegedly acquired by Mr Yadav and his family members by misusing his official status as state Chief Minister through corrupt means under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to the petitioner, Mr Yadav, whose assets were only Rs 79,000 in 1977, owned assets worth over Rs 100 crore now.

UNI