Mayawati govt finally knelt down before Tikait: Mulayam

Lucknow, Apr 2 (UNI) Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today said the Mayawati government had to ultimately kneel down before BKU chief Chaudhary Mahendra Singh Tikait and could not get him arrested due to the vociferous protest by thousands of his supporters at village Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar.

''Mayawati is a liar...there is no truth in her claims that Tikait was arrested. However, its true that the state government requested him to surrender for saving its reputation '' Mr Singh said at a press meet here this evening.

The SP leader alleged, ''Mayawati uses objectionable language against opposition leaders quite often and terms SP leaders and workers goondas. What is she trying to show by booking an innocent man under the provisions of SC and ST Act for using objectionable remarks against her, when everyone has the right to speak in a democracy.'' ''In a democracy, people have the supreme power. The government which is trying to arrest their freedom will not remain in power for long. I challenge Mayawati to get me booked under NSA, if she does not like my words too,'' he said.

Be it the Students Union polls or the Tikait issue, the BSP government is used to taking decisions in a hurry and then kneeling down ultimately the former Defence Minister added.

The former CM said the BSP government had trapped scores of people under the provisions of the SC and ST Act and the officials, acting on their own-will, would not be spared.

UNI ATI RR HT1940