Mayawati slams BJP, media for tarnishing her image in THC case

Lucknow, June 5 (UNI) Relieved after the proceedings against her were dropped by the CBI court in the Taj Heritage Corridor (THC) scam today, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati lambasted the BJP and the media for tarnishing her image.

While the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader flayed the BJP for using the CBI to armtwist her during the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, she also charged the media with lapping up misinformation about the THC project.

Addressing a crowded press conference here this evening, the CM claimed that the BJP wanted her to contest the 2004 Lok Sabha elections in alliance. ''They wanted to contest on 60 seats, leaving the remaining 20 for the BSP...when I refused, the BJP used the CBI as a tool to armtwist me. The media too has been unfair to me all through,'' she added.

She claimed that while Rs 17 crore were released for the project, the media termed it as a ''multi-crore (Rs 175 crore) scam''. ''I was pained when the media described me as corrupt...I was lampooned in newspapers though caricatures,'' she said maintaning that her side of the picture was seldom presented to the people.

She pointed out that contrary to the allegations, the THC project was conceived by the then BJP chief minister Rajnath Singh before she had taken over in the state.

''It was a clear case of political harassment by the then BJP-led government at the Centre which always tried to maintain pressure on me to take political advantage out of it,'' Ms Mayawati said.

Making an impassionate appeal to mediapersons to introspect what they did, the BSP leader said, ''I ask the media how they launched a malafide campaign against me and declared me guilty for the crime which I never committed,''.

She said the situation had now become crystal clear and the BJP had exposed itself. ''The court of law has exonerated me but the court of people would punish the BJP for their evil designs against me,'' she said.

UNI