Mayawati slams media for 'mischevious' reporting

Lucknow, June 27 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati today slammed a section of print and electronic media for publishing ''mischevious reports'' against her lieutenant and state minister Satish Chandra Mishra.

Talking to reporters here, Ms Mayawati claimed ''certain reporters'' were targetting Mr Mishra at the behest of BJP and SP.

''There are certain newspapers and channels who want to pressurise the state government...their tactics would not work,'' she said.

She was referring to certain appointments made by the government of people close to Mr Mishra. ''He had been loyal to the party and had assisted me in various legal cases...his family members, including his brother and sister looked after the home front while he worked for the cause of BSP. I appointed his sister as chairperson of the State Women's Commission and his brother as the chairman of State Pollution Control Board. They are competent people,'' she said.

The CM asserted that the appointments made by the government were not on the basis of caste or religion but merit. ''The moot of the government is service of the sarvasamaj,'' she added.

''The allegations that Brahmins were appointed at high positions would only please the community and help BSP bring it to its fold,'' she said in a lighter vein.

She also referred to her assets disclosed in the affidavit filed for her legislative council election. ''I thank the BJP for the increase in my assets...after I stepped down as CM in 2003, BJP victimised me by implicating me in the Taj Heritage Corrdor (THC) scam. A CBI raid on my residences found nothing...after the incident members of my party gifted me with small amounts to invest. They asked me to invest the money and use its interest to construct houses in Delhi and Lucknow,'' she clarified.

UNI