No connection with health scam, Centre misusing CBI: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government over the Central Bureau of Investigation’s decision to question her on the multi-crore National Rural Health Mission scam, claiming she had no connection with it and that the Centre was misusing the agency ahead of Bihar elections for political gains.

Questioning the timing of the CBI investigation against her, she said the move against her was an attempt to "demoralise" her party and divert attention from the "failure" of the government to fulfil its promises made to the people. "I have no connection to the NRHM scam. The BJP, which is trying to use CBI, should give up such tactics as such attempts have cost them dearly earlier," she told reporters in New Delhi.

But at the same time she said the decision of the agency could be the handiwork of some "casteist officers" who look down upon Dalits and backwards. "It is possible that the high command of the BJP is not aware of the move of these officers...it has to be probed," she said.

The BSP supremo claimed that the decision to question her four years after the scam came to light only reeks of political vendetta. "It is like serving absolute majority in UP elections to the BSP. We have no problems with it...during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government cases were lodged against me in the Taj corridor case as well as a case of disproportionate assets was filed, but I was given clean chit by the high court as well as the Supreme Court," she said.

She said before a CBI officer called me, the news that "I could be questioned in the NRHM scam was leaked to the media in a bid to demoralise me and my party workers ahead of Bihar assembly elections".

Mayawati said such tactics of misleading the people will not help the BJP in any way. "I do not succumb to pressure, I do not bend," she said.

Explaining her stand on the issue, Mayawati said the decision was taken by her cabinet and subsequent decisions on appointing two chief medical officers in every district was taken by the concerned minister Babulal Kushwaha.

"I warn the BJP to give up such deeds. The Congress had also tried such tricks to divert attention from its failures of governance," she said.

Indicating a possible understanding between BJP and SP, she said the Uttar Pradesh government's "failures" especially on the law and order front are being deliberately ignored by the Centre for political gains. She also attacked the Akhilesh Yadav government for holding the first phase of panchayat elections on October 9, which is the death anniversary of Kanshi Ram.

She said people, who will vote in the elections, won't be able to come to Lucknow to pay their homage to the BSP leader.

Meanwhile, coming under attack from Mayawati for "being misused" by the Centre to harass her, CBI Director Anil Sinha said the agency will proceed as per requirement in the NRHM scam probe.

In a rare encounter with media, Sinha refused to give any details of what was the requirement of examining Mayawati after filing 48 chargesheets in the National Rural Health Mission scam. "The agency will proceed as per the demand of the investigation," Sinha said.

Image: BSP chief Mayawati