Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Monday asked Governor B L Joshi to take cognisance of the prevailing law and order situation in the state and recommend the imposition of President's rule.
"Under the prevailing dismal law and order situation and corruption, I would request the governor to himself take cognisance as per the constitutional provisions and recommend imposition of President's rule in the state," Mayawati told media personnel.
Referring to the scheduled visit of the President to Lucknow on Tuesday to attend the 125th year celebrations of the UP assembly, she said the governor should place these facts before Pranab Mukherjee.
"Though I and my party's Members of Parliament can also put these things before the President, there would be an attempt to brand them as guided by political vendetta to set them aside," Mayawati said.
Crime under the Samajwadi Party government has increased as compared to other states, she alleged, adding that crimes against women and girls have alerted the people.
Referring to the murder case of a Dalit girl in Noida, she said it was a recent example as to how the police allegedly tried to hush up the whole affair by attempting to cremate her late in the night, but failed because of vigilant locals and the media.
"It is most unfortunate that the SP government, instead of controlling crime, has been putting in all its strength towards hushing it up," she accused.
The state government was also making big announcements to divert the people's attention from such issues, she said.
Mayawati also alleged that goonda and mafia elements of the ruling party were indulging in corruption to make money. She said she had no objection to impartial inquiry of the projects undertaken under the previous government led by her.
"But the ongoing probes have also become a means of corruption", she said.
To stress her point, she cited the case of a senior SP minister's controversial statement telling officials that they can indulge in it (corruption) during official meetings and pointed out that corruption was rampant on all fronts.
On the Delhi gangrape case, she said that some leaders were issuing baseless statements which could damage the seriousness of the matter and could harm attempts to ensure strict punishment to the accused.
Stressing on strict laws to check crime against women, she said that there is a need that they be implemented sternly.
To a question on the 125th year celebration of the UP assembly, she said that it was more of a political function than an official one and therefore, it is not right for people like her to participate in it.
