'Cong is blackmailing Mulayam on promotions quota bill'

The Samajwadi Party on Sunday pointedly accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of attempting to 'blackmail' party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav , who had earlier threatened to withdraw his party's support to the ruling coalition.

"Blackmailing by the Centre began soon after Mulayam Singh Yadav declared his stiff opposition against the central government's move to push the bill seeking reservation in promotions," SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said in a press release.

"The Centre has been bugged with the Samajwadi Party chief because he had declared that he would not hesitate to withdraw support to the UPA in case the Centre exerted undue pressure to support the bill on reservation in promotions," said Chaudhary.

Referring to the Central Bureau of Investigation's cases against Mulayam, he said, "That the CBI works under the influence of successive central governments has been made amply evident by none other than former CBI director U S Misra in a recent interview," he said.

According to him, "What was even more shocking was the fact that both the Congress as well as Bharatiya Janata Party were sailing in the same boat on the issue of reservation in promotions that was bound to give rise to serious social conflicts and administrative chaos across the country."

He went on to add, "On behalf of the party, I would like to make it loud and clear that no amount of threat or blackmailing would compel Mulayam Singh Yadav to compromise oh his principles and ideology under any circumstances."

Chaudhary further sought to highlight how the Samajwadi Party chief had also defied Congress party's pressure on the issue of Foreign Direct Investment in retail.

"SP refused to get guided by western forces under whose influence prime minister Manmohan Singh had pushed FDI; it was highly regrettable that a party which grew on the principle laid down by Mahatma Gandhi has now become a prisoner in the hands of Western capitalist nations," he pointed out.