Book praises Mayawati, Akhilesh government embarassed

Lucknow, Feb 25: A government publication in Uttar Pradesh now enlists parks and monuments built by former chief minister Mayawati as new visiting attractions in the state capital, leaving the Akhilesh Yadav government red-faced.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) had referred to Mayawati built parks and monuments as a "colossal wastage of public money", and now seems to have a change of heart, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Naseemuddin Siddiqui said in the upper house Monday.

The book - Uttar Pradesh 2013 - published by the state information and public relations department and released a few days ago by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, has detailed these monuments as "new visiting attractions" here.

Referring to the book, the Leader of Opposition said that by stating the "truth", the false propaganda of the government against Dalit leader Mayawati of plundering public money has been exposed.

Health Minister Ahmad Hasan, however, rubbished the charges.

Siddiqui, however, said that since the book was presented by Information Director Prabhat Mittal, it should be seen as a publication backed by the state government.

"The sham of the government in ridiculing our government for making parks and monuments has been exposed," Siddiqui later told IANS.

Sources said that the chief minister was very upset with the oversight which has left his government red-faced.

The information department refused to comment on the controversy though some officials admitted in private that a "blunder had indeed taken place".

IANS