Mayawati suspends BSP MP for supporting Amar Singh

Sitting Bahujan Samaj Party member of Parliament Dhananjay Singh was on Wednesday suspended from the party by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for reportedly rendering support and meeting expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh in jail.

The MP reportedly met Amar Singh, lodged in Tihar jail in connection with the 2008 cash-for-vote scam, without taking permission from the party and had also gave a statement in his favour, state BSP President Swami Prasad Maurya said. "As the matter is pending before court, giving any statement in favour of the accused amounts to contempt which the party had taken seriously," he said.

Dhananjay Singh has also been suspended for indiscipline and not taking interest in resolving problems faced by the people in his constituency Jaunpur, he said.

The BSP supremo has also directed that Singh should neither be invited not included in any of party programmes in future, Maurya said. "Information was received that the MP instead of using his local area development fund on the welfare of the people misused it and spent it on his relatives," he said.