BSP issues 'appeal' ahead of UP poll

Lucknow, Mar 14 (UNI) BSP today issued an appeal to the electorate seeking an end to the 'goonda raj' of the ruling Samajwadi Party.

Former chief minister and BSP national president Ms Mayawati chose to issue an appeal instead of releasing the customary manifesto for the seven-phase assembly poll. Yesterday, she had released the list of all the 403 candidates.

The seven-page appeal slammed the Mulayam Singh Yadav government for failing to curb the increasing crime graph and ''befooling'' the electorate in the name of development.

''Two terrorist attacks -- a fidayeen attack at Ramlala temple in Ayodhya and serial blasts at Varanasi -- have shaken the confidence of the common man. Besides, killings of BSP MLA Raju Pal and murder of Meerut University PRO Dr Kavita Rani and Allahabad madrasa gangrape show the government has failed to maintain law and order,'' she said addressing a news conference here.

She claimed the Nithari serial killings and the subsequent cover up were a major embarrassment to the state government.

She said the BSP would work for the equality of all strata of the society, so that UP develops into a better state. ''Eradication of crime and development of economy would be the thrust areas, if the BSP returned to power,'' the former CM added.

Terming the present regime as 'Kans rule', she claimed ''Maya rupi Krishna'' would put an end to the present misrule in UP.

UNI