Lucknow, Jan 15 (IANS) Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav Thursday urged the central government to probe Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s acquisitions, especially the expensive birthday gifts showered on her.
Referring to her self-proclaimed collection of party funds that she received as birthday gifts, Yadav said: “It is high time that the centre intervenes and directs the income tax department to go into details of the money Mayawati received in the name of gifts on her birthday on Jan 15.”
Reacting to Mayawati’s assertion during the course of her birthday celebration earlier in the day that her birthday receipts had doubled over what she received in 2008, the Samajwadi Party chief said: “Since the amount was not declared by her, she could just put any figure and attribute the receipt to just anybody.”
He felt there was reason to believe that the Income Tax authorities were particularly lenient with Mayawati, “as she is always let off by the department that seems to be gunning for me and my family”.
According to the Samajwadi Party chief, “proper investigation into the assets and money acquired by Mayawati over the years – particularly while she remains in power – would expose all her ill-gotten wealth”.
He, however, declined to make any comment on the estimated wealth that Mayawati might have acquired.
He called upon the state governor to intervene before it was too late. “The governor must also take stock of the barbaric manner in which Mayawati’s police had beaten up Samajwadi Party activists staging a peaceful demonstration against the present government’s undemocratic ways,” he added.
“If no action is initiated against her, I will be compelled to lead a demonstration to press this demand, for which I am also willing to go to jail,” Yadav asserted.