Sacking of ministers by Mayawati act of desperation: BJP

Lucknow, Dec 31: BJP today said apprehending defeat of her party in the coming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Chief Minister and BSP president Mayawati was making desperate attempts to refurbish her government's image by sacking her ministers.

"Sacking of ministers by Mayawati is nothing more than an act of desperation as she is fully aware of her party's defeat in the state Assembly elections," BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

"What is the point in removing ministers at a time when election schedule has already been announced?...Mayawati is removing ministers on charges of corruption and negligence, why she failed to realise the fact during five year term of her government?" he asked.

Since the announcement of the Assembly elections on December 24, Mayawati has sacked 10 ministers.

Four BSP ministers Fateh Bahadur Singh, Sadal Prasad, Anis Ahmed Khan aka Phool Babu and Shahjul Islam Ansari were sacked yesterday to "prevent them from misusing their posts in the coming elections".

Fateh Bahadur, Sadal and Phool Babu are facing inquiry by the UP Lokayukta. Pathak said, "The Lokayukta had conducted inquiry against Minority Welfare minister Anees Ahmad several times but he was not removed earlier.

Now all of a sudden Mayawati has realised that he was not paying attention towards his constituency and grievances of electorates."

The "cleansing exercise" launched by BSP was nothing but a farce and an attempt to mislead the people before the polls. "In a bid to mislead the electorate, Mayawati is playing gimmicks of removing ministers as she realises that even her traditional vote was drifting from the party," he alleged.

PTI