JD(U) criticises Mayawati for demanding SPG

New Delhi, Jan 7 (UNI) Janata Dal (United) President Sharad Yadav today criticised Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for demanding SPG cover for her security and said SPG was being misused as a status symbol in the country by politicians.

Mr Yadav demanded that the law governing SPG cover must be rectified so that the SPG be made available to only those whose life was really in danger and not to all as it involved a lot of public expenditure.

Recently, trend among politicians was to flaunt SPG as a status symbol, he said and added that it should be avoided as it would ultimately take a lot of budget of the country.

Pointing out that despite facing many threats during anti-Mandal agitation, he never demanded additional security cover for himself, Mr Yadav said as a Chief Minister Mayawati could send state security personnel for her protection wherever she visits.

''Moreover, she is travelling so much recently to become a national leader that she was neglecting Uttar Pradesh which has a huge population. If she was interested in becoming a national leader and not UP Chief Minister then she must delegate the responsibility to someone else who could devote time to the state,'' he said.

The JD(U) leader also criticised the Congress for trying to claim credit for revoking SEZs in Goa. He said his party had launched a crusade against Special Economic Zones during the past two years and Goa development pointed out that wherever people standup against these exploitative SEZs, they would be scrapped. He said a peoples movement would soon start against these SEZs in various parts of the country.

Pointing out large scale corruption in the real estate sector, he said the government was selling acres of land of NTC in Dalmia Nagar, Mumbai etc for huge profit while notifying farmland as SEZs.

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