By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister-designate Akhilesh Yadav Tuesday took a dig at arch rival and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati’s decision to migrate to central politics via the Rajya Sabha route.
Travelling home from New Delhi economy class with his wife Dimple and father Mulayam Singh Yadav, after attending the first day of the budget session of parliament in New Delhi, Akhilesh Yadav said it would have been better that Mayawati stayed back in state politics and continued her stint in the vidhan parishad as he himself was soon going to the legislative council.
“I am told Mayawati is cursing us for ushering an era of goondaism. In such a case she should stay back and gherao my government in the UP state assembly,” Akhilesh Yadav told IANS as he interacted with reporters briefly at the Amausi Airport. “Once she is going to the Rajya Sabha, will she be fighting prime minister Manmohan Singh there,” he quipped to a pointed question.
Blaming the outgoing BSP government for hooliganism, Akhilesh Yadav said the moment his government is sworn in the people would immediately notice a perceptible change in the law and order situation. “I am aware that the officials of the outgoing government are deliberately either not acting or conspiring against the SP government; appropriate action would be taken at the right time,” he pointed out.
Trying to play down West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to skip his swearing in, Akhilesh Yadav said there was neither anything unusual in the invite sent to her and the fact that she is not going to attend the March 15 swearing in. “It is part of niceties that you invite senior leaders of the country, and hence it is nothing new, some people call up on phone, some come and others send congratulatory letters,” he added.
His father, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav who emerged from the airport later smiled at questions thrown at him with regard to the ministerial berths and the probable names. “Ask Akhilesh, he is the man you should put these questions to,” he smiled before leaving.