In a damage control exercise, the Samajwadi Party on Saturday claimed that majority of Muslims in the country are not against the Indo-US nuclear deal, and also alleged that the canards being spread in this regard are merely "political stunts" of Mayawati.
"There had been no protest by any Muslim organisation against the nuclear deal and the rumours being spread about it are the brainchild of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati who wants to exploit the situation to her political advantage," Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said in Lucknow.
In fact the ulemas of the Deoband seminary have expressed their opinion in favour of the deal, Chaudhary claimed adding that by adopting the stand similar to that of the Bharatiya Janata Party on this issue, Mayawati has again proved that both the Bahujan Samaj Party and the saffron party think alike.
"She has yet again proved that she has an understanding with the BJP and that she is against the Congress," Chaudhary said.
On the survey published in Urdu newspaper Nai Duniya, which claimed that 70 per cent Muslims are against the deal, Chaudhary said that on the contrary majority of Muslims are in favour of the deal and have appreciated SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's stand on the issue in national interest.
The SP spokesman condemned the Nai Duniya survey questioning the method adopted for conducting it, saying that it does not reflect the real picture of the mood of the community.