Mayawati's party out to taint image, Yadav says

Lucknow Amid reports of hooliganism by Samajwadi Party supporters in several parts of the state, party president Akhilesh Yadav yesterday accused "mischief makers" and state government officials of trying to sully the SP's name following its triumph in the assembly polls.

Contradicting reports that SP workers were indulging in violence, Akhilesh Yadav blamed the present set of officials for being behind the incidents and rumour mongering.

He alleged officials of Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led government, which was defeated earlier this week, were spreading canards about the SP "as they knew they are on their way out". Addressing reporters, he gave a clean chit to party workers in the incidents of violence attributed to them.

‘Absurd'

The SP president also said the incidents of violence were "politically conspired".

"This is just absurd. Will we be held responsible for every law and order situation in the state?" his close aide asked, talking to IANS.

On Tuesday, the day the SP swept to power, a celebratory fire in Sambhal killed a 13-year-old boy. In Firozabad, SP workers pelted stones at policemen and one man died the next day of a gunshot wound. On Wednesday, a group of reporters was held hostage in Jhansi.

The party's clarification comes following reports that SP workers set on fire a hutment at Sitapur, where supporters of an independent candidate lived.

According to reports, the incident took place at Babna in Sitapur where supporters of the SP legislator Mahendra Kumar Singh are alleged to have beaten up independent candidate Shiv Kumar Gupta and then set the huts of his supporters on fire.