Money used in BSP celebrations extorted from people: Joshi

Allahabad/Lucknow, Mar 17 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Congress committee chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi today condemned the reports of another garland of currency notes being presented to Chief Minister Mayawati.

Earlier in the day, BSP leaders at Lucknow presented the garland believed to be worth 1.8 million rupees in currency notes, and comprising notes of various denominations, to Mayawati at a party meeting.

The controversy over the display of opulence to mark 25 years of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) gave further ammunition to the Congress party which is aggressively campaigning to regain its hold over the key state in 2012 when Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls.

Condemning these events, Rita Bahuguna Joshi said that money used in the celebrations is the money extorted by her party from the people.

"It reminds me of a leader who is getting weak, losing public support and who believes that if she speaks a lie in a very strong manner then it becomes truth, just like Goebbels (Hitler) used to say that if you repeat a lie many times, then it becomes truth.

"Similarly, in her (Mayawati) dictatorship rule she is repeating a lie again and again in order to hide the truth that her party has black money... it is not the contribution made by public. I believe that this money is definitely not the donation made by public but it is money extorted from the masses," she said.

The BSP said the money was from donations by supporters but has not yet commented on the amount spent on the celebration.

Joshi further noted that Mayawati is bound to lose public support and this will be out in 2012 elections clearly.

Mayawati was presented a similar garland made of 1,000-rupee currency notes, worth millions at a massive party rally on Monday (March 15), prompting an outcry by the opposition parties across the nation.

Opponents of Mayawati charged that this former teacher spent more than 40 million dollars to ferry her party's supporters in buses from the countryside to fill up an 80-acre ground that was ecorated with flowers. (ANI)