UF declares virtual war on Mayawati government

The United Front on Thursday virtually declared war against the Mayawati government when its top leaders said that a series of agitations would be launched if the Bharatiya Janata Party-Bahujan Samaj Party combine failed to end "excesses" against the opposition parties.

While former prime minister H D Deve Gowda threatened an indefinite hunger strike outside the state assembly from August 15, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav announced "jail bharo" (fill the jails) agitation in the state from July 20.

The leaders, addressing a massive rally at the sprawling Begum Hazrat Mahal Park in Lucknow, warned that the Centre could not remain a passive spectator if the atrocities against the political workers continued.

Telugu Desam supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, CPM general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet, CPI general secretary A B Bardhan, Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Communication Minister Beni Prasad Verma were among those who addressed the meeting.

The SP chief said if the state government failed to stop repressive activities within two months it would go. He alleged that 162 SP activists were killed and about 98,000 people were booked under bogus charges after Mayawati took over as the chief minister three months ago.

Yadav said he was opposed to violent protest, but asked how anyone could tolerate when his own sisters were being paraded naked. In the same vein, he said his party was totally opposed to the use of Article 356 but if the ruling combine played with the sentiments of people on Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya issues, the dismissal of the government would be unavoidable.

Naidu, who addressed the rally in broken Hindi, advised the state government to take effective steps to control the law and order situation.

Paswan described the BSP as a green snake which firmly believes in pursuing opportunistic politics.

Surjeet sought an explanation from BJP leader A B Vajpayee for the lapses of the Mayawati government.

Bardhan said the BSP-BJP should not be under any false impression about the UF's internal strength. He warned that the people's strength would dislodge the corrupt government.

UNI