Mayawati demands dissmissal of Deshmukh govt for Mumbai violence

Lucknow, Oct 30 (UNI) Hitting out at the Congress government in Maharashtra for inciting violence against North Indians, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today urged the UPA government at the Centre to take immediate action to dismiss the Deshmukh government.

''The CM, who is unable to ensure the security of people living in the state, has no right to remain in power, hence, the Vilas Rao Deshmukh government should be dismissed immediately,'' she told a press conference here this evening.

Blasting the Maharashtra Chief Minister for his statement suggesting his helplessness to contain violence sponsored by the Maharshtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Ms Mayawati said the inaction on his part clearly suggested ''his consent''. ''As per the constitutional propriety, every citizen has a right to earn his livelihood in any part of the country, but the North Indians, specially the people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are being targeted,'' she said.

Ms Mayawati said, while the state government was responsible for the security and protection of the North Indians, the culpability of the UPA government at the Centre could not be ignored. ''I have already written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, but the violence against the North Indians is unabated,'' she alleged.

Not sparing two Union Ministers from Bihar -- Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and Chemical and Fertlizer Minister Ram Vilas Paswan-- the UP Chief Minister said their pleas to their own government was an ''eyewash'' and had no meaning.

''If Mr Prasad and Mr Paswan are so concerned about the plight of the Biharis in Mumbai and elsewhere and the Centre is not paying heed to them, they should resign from the Union Cabinet, ''she said, adding, ''this is the only way they can prove their solidarity with their citizens, otherwise they should not indulge in political rhetorics.'' Ms Mayawati said the situation in Maharashtra was far more serious than it seemed from here and the Centre should take emergent steps to stop the exodus from there. The dismissal of the Maharashtra government could be the first step in this direction, she said.

She also rapped the BJP for its silence on the issue, saying it seemed the BJP was also supporting the Congress against the North Indins in Maharashtra.

The tempers ran high in Uttar Pradesh, following the killing of Dharamdev Rai, a labourer from the state, in Mumbai a couple of days ago.

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